My Girlfriend is an ESPer
by RaineyLolita
Summary: MGIE chronicles the adventures of new arrival Rai Martin and the Static Shock crew in Dakota. Awkward first loves, Organized crime, and all the Shock-iness of Static Shock. RichieXOC and minor VirgilXDaisy. All other pairings the same as in the show.
1. Chapter 1

She looked up. There, only a few feet away, stood two heroes. _Real_ heroes. She had read about superheroes in other places, but they didn't exist where she came from. She watched as they delivered the final blow, which left the fire-spouting bad guy they were fighting incapacitated. "You okay?" One of them asked her. She snapped out of her trance. "That was so cool...Y'all are real superheroes..." she stated in awe. They gave her a puzzled look. The people of Dakota had come to lose interest in heroes; they were a very commonplace thing after all. "I always waned tuh see a superhero," she said, letting her excitement get the best of her, not noticing the cut on her hand. "Uh, you're bleeding. We should help you to the hospital," the one in the blue outfit said. She looked at the cut. "Huh, didn't notice it. Oh well, it's nothin' tuh go tuh the hospital for," she said casually. "It looks pretty deep, you might need stitches," said the one with the electronics. "So? I got a first aid kit, it ain't like I got a head injury or nothin'" she said, not understanding their concern.

"Rai Martin, what in the world do you think yer doin, botherin these people?" said her mother. "I ain't doin nothin'! Some loony started blastin' fire and then these two were just askin if uh was okay," she said. Her mother always started a scene. "You git yer backtalkin' tail over here 'for I drag it over here," her mother commanded. "'For she starts draggin', could I git yer names?" she asked politely. "I'm Static, and this is Gear," the one in blue said. "Static and Gear, huh? Well, nice tuh meetcha," she said. She returned to her mother. And walked away.

The two exchanged a puzzled look and made their way to their hideout.

* * *

"Something about that girl creeped me out," Virgil said. "You mean that weird accent?" Richie asked. "No, it's not that. She shrugged off that cut like it was just a scrape, and then she acted like she'd never seen a superhero before," he said. "That was weird, but who knows, maybe she's just tough," Richie said. "Yeah, maybe. And the accent was weird too. I don't think she's from Dakota," Virgil said. "She was kinda cute though," Richie joked. The friends joked and laughed as they headed home.

* * *

The next day was a Monday. Oh joy. She looked at the schedule she had been handed. She walked into the classroom. She was greeted by a teacher and practically dragged to the front of the room. "Class, this is our new transfer student, Rai Martin," he said. She waved half-heartedly and gave a nervous smile. "Nice to meet y'all," she said. "Rai, why don't you tell us a little about where you're from," he said. "Uh, well, as y'all can probly tell from the way I talk, I'm from the south. I'm from a small Mississippi town called Port Carrie* that has a lot of crime issues," as she said this, the class perked up. "But, that's why muh momma made us move up here." . The teacher guided her to an empty seat and she sat down. In a seat right behind Richie.

Richie and Virgil exchanged glances as they saw the girl at the front of the classroom. It was the girl they had saved the other day, and her comment about crime issues didn't make them any more comfortable. "V, it's the girl from the other day," Richie whispered. "I know, I think something might be up with her," Virgil said. "Yeah, I think so too," he said. Even though he had been joking the other day, he did think she was kind of cute. The teacher pointed to a seat behind Richie and she sat down. As she passed, Richie and Virgil noticed she had tended her own injury, as she said she would. Richie felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see Rai smiling at him. "Uh, hi," he said. "Howdy. Just thought since we were neighbers'n'all, I should know yer name," she said. "I'm Richie Foley, nice to meet you," he said a bit nervously. "Nice tuh'meet you too," she said. Richie nervously put out a hand and she shook it a couple of times. "Nice grip," he said, a bit surprised at the strength of her small hands. She smiled. It was cute. "Thanks. Last time I heard that, my cousin was tryin' to get a football out of my hands, 'fore I whooped 'im, but I whooped 'im anyway," she said. He exchanged another look with Virgil. "_She is pretty tough_," Richie thought. And Virgil thought just about the same thing.

She looked at the blond boy in front of her. He was pretty cute, even though he was kind of scrawny in her opinion. So far this place was nothing like what she had heard it would be. So far, she hadn't heard any comments about her unusual clothes or the way she talked. She had heard from others that most northerners thought of southerners as stupid, dirty hicks and treated them like dirt because of it. So far, that hadn't happened. Yet. Plus, she'd already seen two superheroes, a bad guy, and a cute guy. She shifted her thoughts from boys and superheroes to the lesson the teacher was giving. She jotted down the important points of his lecture and then pulled out the small memo book she used to write her homework in. She was highly organized. She had a different notebook for every class, and always kept them neat and tidy. She had her own system of acronyms and abbreviations that filled her notes. She wrote notes then would organize them later to be neat and systematic. People often questioned her for this, but it was how she had maintained her…unique…status as an over-achiever. She brushed away a piece of long brunette hair that had fallen on her paper. The teacher had finished talking and everyone proceeded to put their things away, which cued Rai to do the same. In the few minutes left of class, her thoughts absently shifted to the blond boy. Richie Foley. She blushed as she remembered the comment she made about a football game with her cousin. Even to most guys in her hometown, a girl who was good at football was a major turnoff. Here, girls couldn't play football well; they probably didn't play at all. She mentally slapped herself. She was going to be more of a freak here than she was back home. She sighed as she realized that there was a major cultural gap, and that even if she wasn't the tomboyish athlete she was, she still would've been different from every one else. "I've never been normal before, so why start now?" she mentally asked herself.

She grinned mischievously. She was going to enjoy showing Dakota how tough a southern girl from the bad side of a small town could be. Starting with teaching some girls to play football. Maybe not.

* * *

I'm reuploading all of SSG. Sorry everyone! This time, I'll try to release on a regular basis! I'll reupload the first five chapters everyday from now and then up to chapter nine every week. New chapters will be uploaded on a monthly basis...because I have more written out this time and everything's fixed that I wanted to fix...


	2. Chapter 2

The bell rang and everyone filed out of the classroom. Richie and Virgil were talking about Rai again. Richie felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see Rai smiling up at him. She was a lot shorter up close like this. "I was wundrin' if you could give me directions to my locker," she asked him. "Uh, sure," he replied nervously. Virgil gave him a look and went to class. "So, what's your locker number?" he asked. She looked at a piece of paper in her hand. "Three twuny-eight," she said. He guided her to her locker, which, luckily was close to his next class. "Thanks," she said. "Uh, you're welcome," Richie said. "Yuh know, I ain't stalkin' yuh. I just tapped the first person uh saw," she said. "Oh," he said, a bit embarrassed. "We should get tuh class 'fore the bell gits'us," she said, "Um, one last question. Where's this?" She pointed to the schedule in her hand. "That's my next class too. You can just follow me," he said. That girl had every class with him! This was going to be a weird day.

She had yet another class with Richie. At least she knew someone. That's good. She followed him through the crowds to the next class they had together. Once they were in the room, he sat next to his friend and she found an empty seat near the front. "Yes," she said to herself. She liked the front row best because you never had to worry about someone's head being in your way, and she needed to sit near the front. Everyone was close to a foot taller than her, so seeing was bound to be an obstacle in other classes. Thankfully, no one had asked any personal questions yet. People back home always looked at her funny because of her height…although it was really the reason she was short that made them develop distaste for her. As long as it remained only the teachers and staff that knew her secrets, she felt safer. The teacher began class and she once again took her systemized notes in her special notation and listened halfheartedly as she followed his instructions for their assignments. The teacher asked a couple of questions and Rai's hand went up instinctively. She answered both questions exactly right. She had seen this material before last semester at her old school. "You're off to a great start, Miss Martin," the teacher said.

Richie looked at her. Rai was smarter than she looked. Much smarter. "Thank ya sir," she said. "Well, it's been a while since I was called sir. I have a feeling you'll really excel here," he said. Richie and Virgil looked at each other. Not that they really cared about being the top students in class, but they couldn't help but feel a bit worried. "I think we might need to watch out for her, or she might bring up the curve," Virgil said. "A little competition doesn't seem so bad," Richie said. "What are you talking about?" he asked. Richie blushed for a second. "Well, sometimes don't you wish that we had some better competition and that it wasn't as easy?" Richie asked. "Sometimes, I guess," Virgil said. "Who knows, she's pretty nice. We might even be friends with her, like we were friends with Daisy when she first came here from the institute," Richie said. "Yeah, maybe," Virgil said. "_He's got it bad for the girl_," Virgil thought.

Rai was quickly becoming bored. What they were covering was practically old news to her. After answering a couple more questions, she was bored and decided to stick to her notes. She played with a thread on her jeans. Most of her pants were a bit worn out and some had holes in them, like the ones she had on today. She still fit most of them, which her mother was always surprised about, so she saw no point in throwing them out. After all, a lot of people paid good money for jeans like hers, but she got them cheap and wore them out the old-fashioned way. A lot of people questioned her strange fashion sense, but if it's not broke, why fix it? She stopped playing with her jeans when she felt the sudden onset of a headache. "Not now," she whined in her head. She raised her hand. "Yes, Rai, do you have a question?" the teacher acknowledged her. "Um, could I go tuh the nurse? I have a headache," she said. One of those headaches. Now. Here. Why? Another thing to add to the list of reasons Rai Martin is weird. Those freakish déjà vu headaches. "Yes, you can," he said. "Um, I don't know where it is," she said with a nervous smile. "Any volunteers to show Rai to the nurse's office?" the teacher asked the students. "We'll do it," said the friend Richie and sat beside. He and Richie stood up and walked over to Rai. "To the nurse's office and right back, you three," the teacher said. "Alright," said Richie's friend. "Let's go," said Richie. They proceeded out the door. "Thanks," Rai said. "No problem," Richie's friend said. "I'm sorry for bein rude, uh don't think uh asked yer name earlier," she said. "I'm Virgil Hawkins," he said. Rai smiled then grabbed her head. "Ow," she whispered. "God Dammit," she said in frustration. "So, what's with the headache?" Virgil asked. "If uh said anything you'd never believe it, and my momma would lecture me inta next week," she said, still holding her head. "Trust me, a lot of unbelievable stuff's happened in this town," Virgil said. "Do y'all believe in tha paranormal?" she asked. "You could say that," Richie said. "I have what they call ESP. I looked it up online," she said. Virgil and Richie exchanged another look. "How is that related to your headache?" Virgil asked. "I have these weird dreams about stuff that's gonna happen in tha future, and whenever somethin from one of my dreams is about to happen, I git these weird symptoms," she explained. "So you get a headache when one of your dreams is about to come true?" Richie asked. "Naw, I git a headache when somethin' bad's bout tuh happen. If somethin good's bout tuh happen, I git a pins'n'needles feelin' on my skin. Then I re-see what uh already saw, like déjà vu," she said. "So, do you know what's gonna happen?" Richie asked. "A couple'a gangs are 'bout tuh git into it," she said, "I don't know 'bout what, though. Probly just another fight," she said casually. Virgil and Richie looked at each other.

* * *

I've noticed that my writing skills in the first few chapters are lacking and sort of non-detailed in the beginning but can't think of a way to redo anything without changing all the chapters I've written out so far. Gomen nasai...but flamers will be thrown into a pit of evil toddlers wielding sharp pointy weapons.


	3. Chapter 3

Almost a month had passed. Rai was friends with Richie and Virgil now. It was a rocky start, but it kind of just happened. Rai had told them one of her biggest secrets. When they returned, Rai was well aware of this fact. She had to protect her secret. "Y'all had better not tell anyone what I told you, or so help me God, I'll git country as a turnip green all over yer faces," she said. She did manage to scare them a little bit. But, since they were the only people she had really gotten to know, she was very nice to them most times. They had plenty in common. They were all excellent students, although she was the only one among them who really did any studying. She was decent at video games and liked sports, most of which she was very good at and often beat them at, well except basketball. She was too short to really play as well as the boys. She got along okay with Sharon, and often defended her cooking when Virgil was on a rant. "It may not look too appetizin' but it tastes fine. And if yuh get hungry enough, you'll eat just about anything," she told him on multiple occasions. Richie usually got a kick at watching her lecture Virgil, and then she would lecture Richie for laughing. She was probably tougher than Richie and Virgil, but not one of the three of them would admit it, although it was thoroughly rubbed in their faces on a couple of different occasions.

Virgil and Richie knew from what Rai told them that she wasn't very fond of her mother and that she was a bit unreasonable most of the time. As a result they didn't visit Rai's house too much since they didn't feel right about visiting when her mom wasn't around. They usually only saw the inside of her house if they walked with her or helped her study. During those times, Rai's mother was usually busy or leaving for work. Rai wasn't the rebellious teen type, though. She was the only one in the group with a cell phone and always used it to let her mother know she was okay, something Richie and Virgil could stand to do a little more often with their parents.

Because they had gotten so close, Richie and Virgil learned a lot about Rai…including some things that she preferred to keep secret. They had discovered the reason behind Rai's pitiful short height. She had skipped the fifth grade and was a little over a year younger than everyone in their class, although she was still a little short for a girl her age. She'd also had a few run-ins with gangs in her old school. She had been in a couple of serious jams, one of which had left a three and a half inch long scar on the left side of her chest that showed when she wore t-shirts or tank tops. Another left her with two six inch long scars on both forearms and multiple small ones. Yet another left her with a small, almost unnoticeable scar on her right cheek on the jaw line. She had multiple small scars, and thankfully the majority was not from gangs, just her childhood antics. Because of her tough past, Richie and Virgil worried a lot about her, but then again, they had to worry a lot since no one else did.

One benefit of Rai's friendship with them, that was unknown to her, was her headaches. Whenever she got a headache, Richie and Virgil could ask her what was going to happen and solve the problem as Static and Gear. She was still unaware of Richie and Virgil's double lives, although she came close to discovering them a couple of times. There were several occasions where they debated telling her so she could help them, but almost always they decided against it. The issue that always came up was her safety. Richie was especially worried about her safety. As he got to know Rai, his initial feelings for her intensified. She was attractive, smart, sweet, and strong (emotionally as well as physically)and fun.

Because she wasn't as girly as lot of the girls Richie and Virgil were friends with, she was always up for more of the stuff they liked to do, which was cool. But, she was still a girl. She did wear pink clothes and even wore lip gloss a lot, but it was hard not to see her as a tomboy sometimes. Most of the time, Richie still saw her as the cute girl he'd known when she first arrived. She still had the same long brown hair, bright green eyes and cute big smile. Most things about her were small. Her height, her hands, and even her nose. She was unique, which is what he loved about her.

Rai's feelings for Richie grew as well. He was cute, intelligent, funny, kind, and sensitive (in his own way). She loved how his glasses made him look smarter and a little more mature than he really was. He always listened to her and he always got worried when she talked about tough times she'd gone through. He didn't seem to mind her tomboyishness as much as most guys, and still treated her like she was a girl. He wasn't put off by her intelligence or her age either. He was a genius himself, but it was nice that he didn't look at her funny like other people did. He'd even taken her seriously when she had told them about her ESP. This prompted her to put more effort into her appearance than she usually did, but most people never noticed. She started wearing mascara along with her usual lip gloss. She hoped that maybe he would notice and think it was cute, and maybe like her too…

The fact that they both liked each other but never said anything caused a lot of awkwardness between them. They tried to never get too close to one another and hardly ever sat beside each other except during class or when Daisy would sit by Virgil at lunch. Sometimes the awkwardness annoyed Virgil, and he wished they'd hurry up and start going out, but he understood what was going on with them. He had girl issues of his own after all.

Even with the awkwardness, Virgil, Richie, and Rai were a nearly inseparable group of friends. They had good and bad moments, and some hilarious ones, but even though they became friends relatively fast, their friendship was still a strong one.

* * *

Again, apologize for the weird writing...please review!

Flamers will be dressed as Static and thrown into the MetaBreed's jail cell.


	4. Chapter 4

Rai, Richie, and Virgil had become more comfortable with each other. They joked and talked as if they had been friends for years. Richie and Rai had no longer acted awkward around each other. They still kept their feelings to themselves, but they were becoming painfully obvious. They stood closer than usual, and sat closer, and laughed a lot. It was now springtime, and everyone in Dakota was lovesick. It made things between Richie and Rai a bit tenser, but they tried their best to ignore it. The comfort was nearly shattered after a fateful trip to the pool.

It was one of those spring days that felt like summer. The pool was open, so Virgil, Richie, Rai, and Daisy all went to the pool. As Richie and Rai both knew, Virgil had invited Daisy because he had a crush on her and was hoping to go out with her. He was hoping this would be counted as a date. What Richie and Rai didn't know was that Virgil intended to stay with Daisy and leave them together. He hoped that even if he didn't get anywhere with Daisy that he and Rai could get somewhere.

They got to the pool and were thankful it wasn't too crowded yet. They went over to a table to put down their stuff and take off the clothes they wore over their swimsuits. Richie and Virgil took off their shoes and Richie took off his glasses. Rai glanced over at Richie and looked away quickly. She hoped he didn't see her blush. He looked scrawny in his clothes, but…without his shirt…he was…hot. He was actually pretty fit and well-toned. He was far from the scrawny boy she thought he was. Rai tried to shake the image out of her head. She took off her flip-flops, cutoffs, and tee-shirt. Richie glanced back at Rai. Now it was his turn to blush. Her years of tomboyish athleticism had given her a perfectly toned, curvaceous body. At that moment, in that red two piece, she looked nothing but feminine. He looked away quickly.

The situation was not helping either of them right now. Right that moment, all they could think about was each other…and what they'd both wanted to do for over a month. Go somewhere and kiss each other like there was no freaking tomorrow.

Virgil had disappeared somewhere with Daisy, to the disappointment of both Rai and Richie. "Hey, Richie, race ya to tha deep end!" Rai said. "You're on," he replied, racing into the pool after her. As soon as they got far enough out in the pool for decent takeoff, they plunged under the water and swam as fast as they could to the deeper end of the pool. To both of his surprise, Richie won. He came up and waited for Rai to do the same. He didn't know why, but he really liked the way she looked soaking wet. "For someone from a city with just a public pool, yer pretty good," she said, smiling. "Thanks, I'm actually kind of surprised myself," he said, smiling nervously. Rai smiled at him. "Don't be. I didn't git to really swim a lot back home cuz all we were close to was the Mississippi river. You can't swim past a few feet out in the river cuz'a the current," she said. "Race you back?" he asked. "You bet, Blondie!" she said, taking off into the water yet again. Richie quickly followed her. Rai managed to win the race back thanks to her head start. As Richie tried to come up, Rai pushed his head under the water. He pushed her off and into the water. She came up and splashed him in the face. They went on like that for about ten minutes.

By that time, more people started coming. Richie noticed the eyes of several teenage boys intently following Rai's every move. It made him furious. Even though he did the exact same thing when she wasn't looking. He knew what they were thinking, because he'd probably thought it once or twice himself. The only difference was that Richie wasn't just another horny teenage boy. He was a lovesick teenage boy. He cared more about Rai then he cared about getting in her pants… er…swimsuit in this case.

"Hey, sweetie, you wanna come party with me?" one of them said. Rai ignored them and grabbed Richie's hand, pulling him to their table. They heard wolf-whistles from the direction they had just come from. The boy who had called out to Rai earlier came up behind her. He leaned on the table and both Richie and Rai could tell that he was looking down her top. "Come on, gorgeous, we can go somewhere private and have a special party, just us two," he said. "Leave her alone, moron," Richie said. "Why should I? She doesn't mind, do ya sweet thing?" he said. "If you weren't an idiot you'd see she does mind," Richie retorted. "Why's it matter to you? You screwing her?" he asked. Clearly he saw no need to filter his thoughts into non-offensive language. "That's none of your business. She's a girl not a piece of meat you can have your way with," Richie said angrily. Rai stood up and turned around. She locked the guy in a death glare and spoke in a voice that, in all honesty, Richie hoped he would never have to hear again. "Remember Mr. so and so, remember I'm a lady, not a sex object. You wanna screw a random girl, buy a hooker, but if you'd like to keep your manhood attached, I suggest ya leave me and Richie alone," she said. "Fine, maybe I'll get with a real hooter's girl instead of a hillbilly look-a-like," he said, trying to hide the fact that he was scared of Rai. Rai punched him once in the stomach. "I am not a hillbilly, you Yankee deadbeat jackass." She sat back down.

"That was awesome," Richie said. "Thank eight grade English. We worked on tha play Diary of Anne Frank," she said. "Nice," he said. Every day Rai got more amazing, although, now he would have to hide his stares even more carefully or risk castration…or possibly worse. "It was pritty sweet what you did. Thank you Richie," she said sincerely. Richie blushed. "Uh…no biggie, he was a jerk," he said. Rai smiled.

The moment was interrupted when they heard the chorus of "Gunpowder and Lead" coming from Rai's shorts. Rai grabbed her new cell phone from the pocket and looked at the caller id. She pushed the red end call button. "Who was it?" Richie asked. He'd never seen Rai hang up on someone before. "Someone I'd rather forget. I don't even know how she got my number," she replied. Richie was worried about Rai. If one of those jerks from her past had her number, she could be in big trouble. The same kind of trouble that gave her those scars. "Uh…does this person have a name?" Richie asked, hoping to get information. "It's really not somethin' I feel like explainin' right now," she said. "Sorry," he apologized. "It's alright. I just don't want her ta be the reason I cain't enjoy myself like a normal teenager," she said. "You're not normal?" he joked. Rai smiled and rolled her eyes. "You know what I meant, Richie," she said. "Let's get back in the pool," she suggested.

As they were getting up, Rai's cell phone rang again. This time, it played "Stand by Me." That was the ring tone she chose for Virgil's number, but he was still at the pool…somewhere. She answered the phone. "Hello?" she answered. "Hello, Rai. This is Virgil's father. Is he with you?" Mr. Hawkins answered. "Oh, Hi Mr. Hawkins. Virgil's here at the pool with me, Richie, and Daisy, but him and Daisy disappeared on us," she said. "I see. Well, could you find him and tell him he needs to come home for me?" he asked. "Yes sir, Mr. Hawkins. We'll tell him as soon as possible," she replied. "Thanks. I'll let you go so you can find Virgil," he said. "Yer welcome, Mr. Hawkins. Bye," she replied. "Goodbye," he said before hanging up. "What was that about?" Richie asked. "We have to-oh never mind, I see 'im" she replied. She went up to Virgil and told him what his father had said. "Alright. I'm just gonna walk Daisy home first then I'll head straight home," he said, "Guess you two are on your own." He and Daisy left together and Rai and Richie exchanged questioning glances. "That boy…he set us up. He just wanted ta git Daisy alone an' leave us by ourselves. I'm 'a give him the lesson of a lifetime tomorrow," Rai said. Richie put a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down. It's no big deal," he said. "Ugh, I know. Sorry," she replied. She turned to Richie and smiled. "Hey, let's get outta here. I feel like playin' Street Fighter  now," she said. "Sounds good to me," he replied. They put their clothes back on and headed to the arcade.


	5. Chapter 5

Since it was still a nice day when they left the arcade, Richie and Rai decided that they didn't want to go straight home. They got ice cream; window shopped, visited the park, and by the time the day of fun was over, it was dark. Good thing it was Friday. They walked along in near silence to Rai's house. "Today was fun," she said. "Yeah," Richie said.

**_Out here in the quiet of the night,_**

**_Beneath the stars and moon_**

**_We both know we've got somethin' on our minds_**

**_We won't admit, but it's true_**

Without thinking, Rai stepped closer to Richie so that only inches separated them. They both blushed and distanced themselves slightly.

**_You look at me, I look away._**

Richie looked down at Rai and she quickly looked away.

**_I wanna tell you what I'm feeling, but I_**

**_don't know how to start_**

**_I wanna tell you, but now I'm afraid that_**

**_you might break my heart_**

**_Oh, why should anything so easy, ever be so hard to do?_**

**_I wanna tell you what I'm feeling, and to_**

**_say that, I love you._**

"This's so awkward," she thought.

**_I practice all the thing that I could say,_**

**_Line by line, every word_**

**_I tell myself today could be the day,_**

**_But every time, I lose my nerve_**

She remembered a time when she almost confessed and blushed. She looked at Richie.

**_I look at you, you look away_**

He looked away. He blushed and remembered that he was supposed to play it cool.

**_I wanna tell you what I'm feeling, but I_**

**_don't know how to start_**

**_I wanna tell you, but now I'm afraid that_**

**_you might break my heart_**

**_Oh, why should anything so easy, ever be so hard to do?_**

**_I wanna tell you what I'm feeling, and to_**

**_say that, I love you._**

He hated himself for being so scared. Could it really kill him if he just looked at her? He looked over at Rai again and quickly turned away when he saw her looking back at him with unsure eyes that probably matched what he looked like.

**_Why, do you turn away?_**

**_It must be, you're afraid like me_**

**_I try, but I can't pretend that I_**

**_Don't feel for you the way I do_**

**_Can't you see?_**

She wanted to know why Richie was acting weird. Did he know how she felt? Did he feel uncomfortable being with her because of it?

**_I wanna tell you what I'm feeling, but I_**

**_don't know how to start_**

**_I wanna tell you, but now I'm afraid that_**

**_you might break my heart_**

**_Oh, why should anything so easy, ever be so hard to do?_**

**_I wanna tell you what I'm feeling, and to_**

**_say that, I love you._**

They reached her house and she stood in front of the door.

**_I wanna tell you what I'm feeling, but I_**

**_don't know how to start_**

**_I wanna tell you, but now I'm afraid that_**

**_you might break my heart_**

**_Oh, why should anything so easy, ever be so hard to do?_**

**_I wanna tell you what I'm feeling, and to_**

**_say that, I love you._**

"See ya tomorrow?" Rai asked nervously. "You know it," he replied with a grin. Rai smiled. "Why don't you an' Virgil come ta my house tomorrow? It'll be fun," she said. "Yeah, sure," he replied. She smiled. She stood in front of Richie and kissed his cheek. "Night, Richie," she said. Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.

…Cliffhangaaaa!

* * *

Okay! Some credits first: Song used is Misty's Song from Pokemon. Got this idea while listening to Break The Ice by Britney Spears on my ipod actually. The irony, huh? Well, I wanted to do this last time but had no decent ideas, so here it is:

Part I of the 5x Omake!

* * *

*in walks RaineyLolita in Ai Enma's seifuku cosplay*

"Welcome Everybody! I'm your host, RaineyLolita, aka Akai Yuuki! You can call me Yuuki-chan! For this omake, we will take a more detailed look at Rai Martin."

*Rai is suddenly transported to the stage*

"What the hell happened?"

"You're here for the omake!"

"Yer one'a them aintcha?"

*Yuuki nods vigorously*

"First, for basic physical stats!"

*Rai is suddenly forced against a mugshot background in a tanktop and shortshorts*

"Why'm I half-necked?"

*Rai tries to cover herself with a green screen*

"Height: 5ft 2-1/2 inches! Weight: 125 pounds!"

"What are you doin?"

"Hair: brunette, eyes: green, blood type: 0 negative."

"Stop tellin everyone my personal business!"

*Rai tries to pry away Yuuki's microphone and fails. She is strapped to the mugshot background*

*Yuuki smiles evilly*

"And her measurements are~"

"Don't you dare! Damn pervert!"

"38, 25, 39!"

"I'm gonna kill you!"

"I'm not a pervert! I'd reveal my own stats if it couldn't potentially endanger my safety."

"Liar."

"Maybe not all my stats, but I'm proud to say that I'm 4ft 11-3/4 inches!"

"I'mma sue you for all yer worth."

"Keep talking missy. Meanwhile, I'm the one who controls when you leave."

"I hate you."

"I love you too Miss Sunshine."

*Yuuki gives a super-idol smile to the audience*

"Time to go! See you next time on 5x Omake!"


	6. Chapter 6

…_Previously on SSG (I am SO considering changing the title):_

"_See ya tomorrow?" Rai asked. "You know it," he replied with a grin. Rai smiled. "Why don't you an' Virgil come ta my house tomorrow? It'll be fun," she said. "Yeah, sure," he replied. She smiled. She stood in front of Richie and kissed his cheek. "Night, Richie," she said. Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. _

Rai was shocked. Richie Foley was kissing her. _Kissing_ her! Even though she had dreamed about this happening several times, she was in disbelief. Richie pulled away and his face was beet red. "I-I am so sorry. I'll just leave," he said as he turned away to leave. Rai grabbed his hand. "…don't leave," she said. Richie looked at her in disbelief. She blushed. "I…eh…I'm…I'!" she blurted out. "Uh…what?" Richie asked. "I really really like you!" she said. "Uh…W-wait wait. Is this real?" Richie asked in disbelief. "Richie, if I didn't mean it, would you really be standin' right now?" she asked him. "I guess not," he said nervously.

"So, um, whatta we do now?" Rai asked him. "I don't really know," he replied. Rai's cell phone rang again. "_What's with the phone today_?" Richie thought. Rai hung up her phone and smiled at Richie. "My mama's workin n extra shift. Wanna come in an watch a movie?" she asked. "Sure, I've got two hours till my curfew," he replied. Rai unlocked and opened the front door. Richie followed her inside and sat on the couch. "Whatever we watch has to be under two hours so you'll get home on time," Rai said to herself. Richie watched her as she looked over the movies on the shelf next to the TV and bent to scan the movies on the bottom shelves. She stood up and held a VHS in her hand. "How bout this one? It's called Sleepy Hollow. It's part supernatural, part mystery, an part historic fiction," she said. "Sounds good to me," Richie replied. She put the movie in the VCR and sat down next to Richie.

Rai blushed a little. She'd never been this close to him before. Well, she'd never really liked a boy this much before either. Richie put his arm around her and she blushed. She and Richie watched the movie in near silence with only the occasional comment on the movie. "You want somethin' ta eat?" she asked. "Sure," he replied. She went into the kitchen and made some snacks. She took the snacks into the living room and sat back down on the couch. "What're those?" he asked. "Cookie s'mores, minus the heat. They're awesome try one," she said. He tried one. "These are great," he said. "Toldja," she said. She giggled. "You got marshmallow on yer face," she said. "Where?" he asked. "Right here," she said. She wiped the marshmallow off his face with her finger. She smiled and held up her finger.

"See?" she said. Richie couldn't help but smile. Rai licked the marshmallow off her finger and smiled. Richie chuckled. She grabbed one of the cookies and ate it. Richie smiled to himself he was glad he didn't have to pretend anymore. The stress was starting to get to him. He looked over at Rai and smiled. "You've got marshmallow on your lips," he said. She tried to lick it off and failed. He laughed. She stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed harder. "What are you, five?" he asked through the laughter. "No. I'm way more'n five," she said. She leaned toward him and cupped his face in her hand. "Would a five-year-old do this?" she asked him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Richie wrapped his arms around her waist and returned the kiss.

Rai's impulses took over so quickly that she forgot to blush. She could never do this, but she wanted to so badly that her inhibitions shut down. At the moment, she was perfectly happy to let impulse take over. She held onto him as tight as she could. After a little while, her inhibitions kicked back in and she pulled away. "I'm sorry. I just acted on impulse," she said blushing bright red. "I'm not complaining," he said smiling. Rai smiled nervously. Rai laid her head on Richie's chest. "This is nice," she said. "Yeah, it is pretty nice," he replied. They sat together and watched the rest of the movie in contented silence. As the credits began to roll, Rai's cell phone rang again. "Every time," Richie said in frustration. Rai answered her phone. "Hello?" she answered. "Hey Rai, you seen Richie?" Virgil asked. "Yeah, he's right here," she answered. "Can I talk to him?" he asked. "Sure," she said. She handed the phone to Richie. "Virgil wants ta talk to ya," she said.

"Yo V what's up?" he asked. "I could ask you the same thing," he said, "I tried calling you at home but your mom said you weren't there." "I spent the afternoon with Rai and we watched a movie," he said. "Really?" Virgil asked. "Yeah. We had a great time together," he replied. "How great?" Virgil asked mischievously. Richie turned pink. "Just great," Richie replied. "You finally got together didn't you?" he asked. "What's that got to do with anything?" Richie asked frustrated. "You did! I'll leave you two alone for now," Virgil replied. He hung up the phone and Richie was totally embarrassed. "What'd he want?" Rai asked. "Nothing. He just wanted to ask me about you," he replied. "I told ya he set us up," Rai said. "I'd better head home. If I'm late, I'll get grounded," Richie said as he stood up and headed for the door. Rai got up and walked behind him. Richie opened the door. "See you tomorrow," he said. He gave her a peck on the lips and left. "See ya," she called before shutting the door. Richie walked home in silence, still absorbing what had happened. After two months, Rai was finally his girlfriend. The stress of pretending was killing him. But…now there was the stress of dating. He had no clue what he was doing. Now he had to worry about making such an idiot out of himself that Rai would dump him. He sighed as he opened the door to his house.

* * *

Yeah...I'm mean...but I just don't want to overdo the fluff factor and make the relationships between the characters too glossed-over, you know? Besides, the nervous awkward moments are kinda cute too. If you think I'm mean now, wait till I bring in the bad guys!


	7. Chapter 7

"Richie where have you been? It's five minutes till your curfew. You've never cut it this close before," his mother said as she came over to him. "I was hanging out with Rai," he said nervously. His mother raised an eyebrow at him. "Is that lip-gloss on your lips?" she asked. "Uh, no," he defended. "Richie, I know lip-gloss when I see it," she said. "What have you been up to?" she asked. "He got together with that girl he likes," his father interjected. "Is that true?" his mother asked. Richie blushed. "Um well…sort of," he replied. "Atta boy," his father said. "Why don't you invite your new girlfriend over for dinner tomorrow?" his mother said. "Yeah, we want to meet this girl," his father added. "Um well, I don't really know if she'd want to come," Richie said. "Convince her," his mother said. "Um, I'll try," Richie replied. This was bad. His parents were totally going to embarrass him. "I'll call her and ask her," Richie said nervously. He trudged upstairs and went into his room to call Rai. He picked up the phone and dialed Rai's number.

Rai heard her phone ring from the shower and hurriedly wrapped a towel around herself. She picked up the phone as quickly as she could. "Richie?" she answered. "Yeah. How'd you know it was me?" he asked. "Everyone on my phone has a custom ring," she replied. "Oh right. Forgot about that," he said. "Do you need somethin? I gotta blow-dry my hair," she said. "Uh…My parents kind of found out what happened tonight and want you to come over for dinner tomorrow," he said nervously. Rai blushed. "Um…so why'd they want me ta come over?" she asked nervously. "They want to meet you," he replied. Rai let out a sigh of relief. "For a minute I thought they were gonna be mad," she said. "Why would they be mad?" Richie asked. Rai hesitated. "Well…people see girls like me an' ten'ta jump ta conclusions," she replied. "When you come over, you can show them what you're really like. If they know you like I do, they're going to love you," he said. Rai smiled. "Thanks. So what time should I be there?" she asked. "We usually have dinner around seven," Richie replied. "So…I'll be there a few minutes till?" she asked. "That sounds fine. I'll tell them you'll be here," Richie replied. "See ya tomorrow night," Rai said. "Yeah, see you," Richie said. He hung up and Rai went back to the bathroom to blow-dry her hair.

Richie went downstairs. "What did she say?" his mother asked. "She'll be here a few minutes before seven," he replied. "Great," his mother said. "_For you, maybe_," Richie thought. "Richie, come over here," his father said. Richie went over to his father. "This girl…what's she like?" he asked. Richie turned pink. "Um…well she's really smart, good at sports, she's fun and a little scary sometimes but she's got a good heart," he said. "Sounds like quite a girl, but tell me, is she pretty?" his father asked. "Well, yeah. She's gorgeous. Long brown hair, beautiful green eyes, great skin, and a smile that makes the whole world seem brighter. She always looks beautiful no matter what she's doing or what she's wearing," he said in a day dreamy voice. "Beautiful? Son, looks like you've got it bad. You're in love," his father said. Richie blushed bright red. "She must be quite a girl if she did this to you," his father said, "a piece of advice: if you really care about this girl, you have to hold on to her and fight for her for all she's worth. The best girls never stick around long if you're not willing to fight for them." What his dad said actually made sense. Rai was definitely not the type to stick around if she wasn't treated right. There were plenty of other guys who would kill for her, and no doubt some of them could be much better than him. Richie rushed back upstairs to his room.

Rai brushed out her hair and slipped a t-shirt over her head. She turned sideways and looked at her reflection in the mirror. "I need ta get out more. I'm gettin squishy," she said to herself. She poked at her stomach. She turned back around. "If my hips weren't so dang big, I'd probably fit into a size four," she said, "Ugh! I'm goin crazy. All this over nuthin." Her phone rang again. She picked up her phone curious as to why Richie would call twice in one night. "Hello?" she answered. "Hey," he answered. "Any reason why ya called this time?" she asked. "Just wanted to talk to you," he replied. Rai blushed a little. "Um…ok," she said. "So what're you doing?" he asked. "Gittin dressed fer bed," she said. "Oh. Sorry," he said. "It's ok. I ain't complainin," she said. "That was my line," he joked. "So? I borrowed it," she replied, "anyway wont yer parents kill you fer runnin up their phone bill?" "I don't really care," he replied. Rai blushed. "So…what brought this on?" she asked. "Actually, my dad gave me some good advice," he replied. "Really?" she asked. "Yeah. I know if I want you to stick around I have to prove I deserve you and fight to keep you, which isn't going to be easy," he said. Rai blushed again. "Just when I think I got this stuff figured out, you go n say somethin like that," she said. "What I do?" Richie asked. Rai sighed. "I ain't very good at the whole dating thing. I never even kissed a guy before tonight," she said. "I don't really know what I'm doing either," Richie said, "Wait a minute. You've never kissed another guy?"

"No," Rai answered. "That's kind of cool. I was your first," he said. "Careful. Yer ego is showin. But, I guess it is kinda sweet," she said. "Just call me the candy man," he said. Rai giggled. "I think I'll just call ya Richie," she said. "Doesn't matter what you call me, as long as you're still calling me," he said. Rai heard her mother's pickup pull into the garage. "Um…I gotta go. My mama's home," she said. "Oh. I'll see you tomorrow," he said. "Bye," she said. "Yeah, bye," he replied. Rai put up her phone and turned out the lights in her room. She got in bed and stayed perfectly quiet until her mother went to bed. She smiled as she fell asleep, still thinking about Richie.

* * *

Major fluff-overload...sorry...deal with the crappiness until the new chapters come out...which isn't for a bit...


	8. Chapter 8

Rai woke up to see her mother in front of her dresser. "Mornin," she said, still half asleep.

"Mornin. Do you still have my water bra? I packed with your stuff and I need it for tonight,"

"What's got you talkin all proper lately?"

"Jonathan doesn't like when I talk like a hick. He says it makes me sound like I have no class. You should try it, maybe you'll make some good friends instead of those boys,"

"My friends like me just the way I am. Anyway, I gotta call Daisy,"

. She swung her legs over the bed and opened the dresser drawer. Her mother grabbed the water bra and left. Rai shuddered. "I don't see how she does that to herself," she said to herself. She brushed her hair and pulled on a pair of jeans. She went downstairs to eat breakfast as she heard her mother leave. "I really do need to call Daisy," she said to herself.

She finished her cereal and dialed Daisy's number on her cell phone. "_Hello_?" Daisy answered.

"Hey, Daisy, It's Rai,"

"Oh, hey. What's up?"

"I need your help with somethin,"

"Sure. What do you need?"

Rai blushed.

"Well…I gotta go somewhere tonight an I need yer help findin somethin ta wear,"

"I'll be right there!"

She hung up and Rai looked at her phone for a second. "That was quick," she said to herself. She decided to wash the dishes in the sink while she waited. She washed each one and placed it in the rack. When she finished cleaning the sink, she heard a knock at the door. "Hey. Thanks fer comin," she said.

"No problem. So where's your closet?"

"Yer in a hurry,"

"You have to look your absolute best,"

"You don't even know where I'm goin,"

Daisy was already in her room when she decided to ask Rai any questions. "So where **are**you going?" she asked. Rai blushed.

"Well, I'm goin ta Richie's house for dinner tonight,"

"Is Virgil going too?"

. "Um…no, just me,"

Daisy went wide-eyed.

"Oh my gosh! Don't tell me you two finally admitted you liked each other?" Daisy said as she dropped a T-shirt that she was holding.

Rai turned bright red. Did everyone know Richie liked her but her?

"Oh you totally did!"

"I just want help findin somethin to wear. I'm gonna officialy meet his parents tonight," Rai replied with a little pink still left on her cheeks.

Daisy opened Rai's closet and found her church clothes. She immediately pulled out a pair of high-end black jeans. "You should totally wear these! You'll look so great," Daisy said.

"I only wear those to church. My grama bought em for me for Christmas last year, n they were real expensive,"

"Come on girl, these are great. Richie won't be able to keep his eyes off you and his parents will think you're super classy,"

"Well, okay, but do ya expect me to go to dinner in my bra, or are ya gonna help me pick out a shirt too?"

Daisy laughed and rummaged Rai's closet for a shirt. She found a well-fitted white short-sleeved collared blouse with a light pink(think Sakura's hair from Naruto) undershirt that would enhance Rai's curves and keep her mostly-conservative country girl style intact. She put the hanger in Rai's hand and gestured for her to try on the outfit. "I already know how they make me look," Rai said. "I have to see too," Daisy replied. Daisy turned around and Rai changed into the outfit Daisy had chosen.

Rai turned around when she had changed. "So, what's yer verdict?" Rai asked Daisy.

"Oh my gosh! You don't even look like you!" Daisy exclaimed, smiling at her handiwork. The blouse was low-cut, the buttons stopping right under her bust and the undershirt showed only the smallest trace of cleavage, enough to show sex appeal without sacrificing dignity. The combo wasjust tight enough to show her figure, and the jeans were tight in all the right places, almost erasing her tomboyishness in favor of her new classy, feminine look. "I think I outgrew the top," Rai said, trying to pull it down.

"If you ask me, you finally grew into it. You look like you belong on the cover of Cosmo,"

"Thanks," Rai said, slightly pink at Daisy's compliment. Daisy pulled out a pair of black dress sandals and gestured for Rai to put them on. "You're wardrobe is now complete," Daisy said with a smile. "Thanks," Rai replied. "Now you need to do something with all that hair," Daisy said. "Uh-oh…"Rai said under her breath. Daisy smiled.

2 hours later…

Daisy smiled at her work. It had started out as just fixing Rai's hair, but Daisy had somehow ended up doing her makeup and giving her a manicure too. Rai looked at her reflection. Her hip-length brunette hair was styled into thick, glossy curls that stopped midway down her back, and Daisy had made her up like a Barbie doll. "Um…doncha think this's a little too fancy fer a simple dinner at someone's house?" Rai asked awkwardly.

"By the time you leave, the curls will relax a bit and your makeup will fade, so you'll look totally natural,"

"Well, thanks,"

She looked at the clock. "Holy crap! It's almost one!" She exclaimed. She leapt from the chair and bolted downstairs. Daisy slowly followed behind her. Daisy sat down on the couch with Rai, who was feverishly channel surfing until she found something she wanted. "What's got you so wound up?" Daisy asked.

"Touched by an Angel,"

Daisy gave her a look.

"I've been so busy with you an Virgil an Richie that I've been missin it almost every week an this is one a my favorites,"

"Oh, well, I'm gonna go now. I promised Frieda I'd hang out with her today," Daisy said as she headed to the door.

"Thanks a lot. See ya later," Rai said as she waved goodbye.

Around 6:30 that night…

Rai checked her reflection one last time. She brushed a piece of hair aside and put her keys and cell phone into her pocket. She put a sticky note on the fridge for her mother and left for Richie's house.

* * *

A/N: It took two hours because Rai has A LOT of hair. My hair used to be that long and I'd spend an hour just trying to curl half of it and give up cuz my arm hurt. The makeup only took about 20 minutes, but like I said, LOTS of hair. Although they were lucky. Rai's mom had hot rollers(even though they ran out and Daisy curled some of Rai's hair with a curling iron). This chapter is kinda just filler and has lots of time skips, but is supposed to show more of Rai's life outside of the Static-verse and also give Daisy more screen time. Also, just to show how much a girl will go through for a guy she likes. As always, thank you and reviews are welcome. Flamers will answer to Yamaguchi Kumiko from Gokusen.


	9. Chapter 9

Richie looked at the clock. It was 6:45. "Rai will be here any minute," he said to himself.

"So, when's your girlfriend supposed to get here?" his mom asked. Richie turned slightly pink.

"She should be here any minute,"

Just as he said that, the doorbell rang. Richie opened the door and went wide-eyed. Rai, or at least he thought it was Rai, stood there looking nothing like the tough-as-nails country girl she was. "Um, could I come in?" Rai asked, her face quickly turning red under Richie's gaze. He turned pink and let her inside. She smiled at him nervously.

"Whaddaya think?" she asked, gesturing to her outfit.

"You look…awesome," he said nervously as he tried to think of words to use. She smiled and turned slightly pink.

"Of course, I think you look great in everything," She turned red at his compliment. She smiled a little.

"So, this is Rai?" His mom asked. They both turned to her.

"So she's here?" his dad asked as he came into the room. Rai blushed as his parents looked at her.

"Um, hi. Nice to meet you," Rai said as she waved nervously.

Richie's mom smiled. "Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes. Why don't we all have a seat in the living room and talk?" she said.

His dad moved aside and Richie led Rai into the living room. She sat on the couch and he sat next to her, leaving about half an arm's length between them. He could tell she was uncomfortable.

"You did really good, son. She's a real looker!" his dad said. Richie blushed.

"So, Rai you have an interesting accent. Where are you from?" his mom asked.

"Oh, I'm from a Podunk little town in Mississippi," Rai parents smiled slightly at her reply.

"So, where does your mom work?" Richie's mom asked.

"She works at the sport supply store downtown,"

"Really? I was in there the other day. What department is she in?" his father asked.

"She works in the loadin' dock,"

"She a brunette, about half a foot taller than you, forty-ish, wears tight pants and too much makeup?"

"That's her exactly. Although, you left out the fake tan,"

"She'd be pretty if she wore less makeup," Richie's father added, "What about your father?"

The question caught her off guard and the color drained from her face. Just for an instant, Richie saw hatred and misery flicker in her eyes.

"I…I don't know. Hasn't…talked ta me… in a while,"

"So your parents are divorced?" Mrs. Foley asked.

Rai tensed. In all the time he'd known her, he'd never seen her look this uncomfortable.

"Well…they were…never really…married,"

Luckily, the egg timer went off at that very minute and everyone moved into the kitchen.

* * *

I know, I'm so evil. Only nine chapters in and I've already done 2 cliffhangers. Well, some of you Rai fans may be thinking: "Stop torturing the poor girl!" or "Just tell us what the f**** happened in her home town!" well, things will become very Rai-centric in future chapters, so you'll soon discover many of the answers to your questions. And no, she is NOT the most miserable character in the series. There are more coming and some of them are way worse off.

Flamers will be thrown in a pit of flames.


	10. Chapter 10

_Time skip (about an hour)…_

"It was so wonderful to meet you Rai," Mrs. Foley said as Rai stood at the door ready to leave.

"She's quite a catch, Richie. You should thank heaven that she even talks to you," Mr. Foley said to Richie.

Rai turned slightly pink at their compliments.

"Thank you for havin' me over," Rai said politely.

"No problem. You're welcome anytime," Mrs. Foley responded

"I better get home 'for my mama gets suspicious," Rai said as she opened the door to leave.

"I'll walk you home," Richie said.

Richie's parents flashed knowing smiles as Richie closed the door behind him and Rai. Before Rai could take more than a couple steps, Richie took her hand. She looked back at him and smiled a little as they began walking.

"I don't think I've ever been complimented that many times in one night," Rai said.

"Really?"

"It's nothin like watcha see on TV,"

"Real life hardly is,"

Rai smiled at him.

"So, why'd you suddenly tense up when my parents mentioned your father?" Richie asked as seriously as he could.

Once again, the color drained from her face and her eyes filled with hate.

"I have no father," Rai replied darkly.

Right away he dropped the subject. Rai would tell him when she felt like it. Just then a mischievous thought entered his head. He stopped, and since they were holding hands, Rai stopped too. Without giving her chance to react, he pressed his lips to hers and cupped her cheek in his free hand. He kissed her softly and affectionately, earning a slow, but favorable response from her. For the first time, he actually had a chance to feel her lips, considering the last times he really wasn't thinking about it much. They were soft and a little sticky from her lip gloss, and he could now appreciate their fullness completely. It just made it far more enjoyable. Everything just stopped.

"Way to go, dude!"

The second they heard that, they both pulled apart. They were blushing madly. Some random guys were passing by them on the sidewalk and decided to comment. "Dude! You are one lucky S.O.B.," one of them commented. Rai was becoming very angry at them. Not only had they ruined THE best moment of her life, but they had humiliated her. Well, it was partially her fault for kissing in public, but still. She tightened her grip slightly on Richie's hand.

"If y'all don't mind, we're going now, so would you please let us by?" she said in The Voice.

They moved aside. She and Richie continued on to her house.

"You have a talent for intimidating people," Richie stated. Rai smirked.

"An don't forget that I can back it up too," She replied slyly.

He smiled nervously. They walked to her house in content silence, exchanging affectionate looks and light kisses along the way. Then, they finally made it to her house after thirty minutes, even though it usually takes twenty. Rai didn't really mind though. She hesitated at the door, knowing her mother would be home soon and not wanting to deal with her.

"You okay?" Richie asked her. She turned and smiled at him.

"I'm fine. I just don't feel like messin with my mama tonight," she replied.

"Sorry about that,"

"It's alright, hopefully, she decided to stay the night with Mr. Wonderful tonight,"

. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Richie, thanks for walkin me home,"

"Isn't it kind of my job?"

Rai smiled. She leaned up and placed a small kiss on his lips.

"Just keep those coming and I'll do anything you want,"

Rai smiled.

"Night Richie."

"Night," he replied.

She unlocked the door and went inside.

* * *

Yah, more filler-ish stuff. For anyone who cares, I'm considering a title change for the story. You can submit any ideas in the reviews. I'll probably select a few favorites and have readers vote on which one I use, so do your best! As usual, Flamers will be run over by Haruko's vespa and begin sprouting robots from growths on their head.

* * *

Part II of the 5x Omake begins now!

* * *

*In walks Akai Yuuki in Hayasaka Yukari Seio Academy Uniform cosplay*

"Welcome back to 5x Omake! I'm your host Yuuki-chan!"

"Let me go!"

"And this is our guest Rai Martin! Say hi to the audience, Rai-chan!"

"I'm gonna kill you!"

"tsk tsk. That's not good for your image..."

"I don't give a rat's ass!"

*light bulb blinks on above Yuuki-chan's head*

"I know!*snaps fingers* To salvage your reputation, we'll hold a contest!"

"Like hell you will! Where're the damn cops when ya need em!"

"The winner gets to spend a day with Rai however they like, which will be filmed and shown on 5x Omake!"

"I'm not agreeing to this!"

"The runners up will appear on a segment of later 5x Omake epidisodes."

"What kinda prize is that? A minute with you is a year in hell!"

"The contest shall be-*drum roll*-whoever comes up with the best RaiXRichie Spring Break Date story!"

"That is so lame. It's not even April yet."

"Well, I've got spring break on my mind, so deal with it."

"All you have to do is write up a one or two chapter story of Richie and Rai on a date during Spring Break. Anything goes except future-fics, lemons/hentai, slash, and any other explicit sexual content. Meaning, if it's rated M, it should be for language! For more detailed rules, please check the link on my profile! Stories will be judged on style, plot, characterization, realism, romance factor, and originality! Include links to the stories in posts to the contest's forum, in the general section, please."

"Why are people other than me involved in my personal life?"

"Entries will be due by September 15th."

"That's not much time."

"Anyway, that's all for today, so thank you and see you on the next 5x Omake!"


	11. Chapter 11

Okay, thought I'd post this so you guys would get a better idea of the time frame for the contest. In this chapter, spring break is two weeks away, making it about March 22nd. Spring Break for the crew is April 4-9(in this story, idk what it really was). So yeah. Get those entries in! Piece of advice: write your story before reading rules 2-5!

* * *

Monday. To many people, it was the worst day of the week. And Rai was feeling very much the same way right now. Not only was spring break a couple of weeks away (as well as quarter exams), but the Friday they got out, there was a dance. A _formal_ dance. And it didn't help that Daisy and Frieda were right beside her, going over details about dresses, hair, and _dates_. She was trying to change in relative peace.

"So Rai, are you going with Richie?" Daisy asked.

"He ain't asked yet an I really don't wanna go."

"Why not?" Frieda asked.

She had been informed of the RaiXRichie situation when she hung out with Daisy on Saturday.

"I never really liked dances."

She headed out of the locker room with the other girls and onto the athletic field. Since the days were getting hotter, Rai had opted for a pair of shorts today instead of her sweats. _Bad idea_. As she was walking to the bleachers to wait for the gym teacher, several of the members of the boy's gym class gave her looks similar to the pool pervert. A couple even slowed to a jog to stare as they did their laps, and subsequently caused a domino effect. All but five boys were taken down. She sent a death glare to the fallen boys. Just as she was about to climb the bleachers, one walked up to her.

"Hey, um, I'm Marlin. I sit behind you in History. I was wondering if you would like to go to the Spring Dance with me," he said.

She blinked from shock.

She smiled nervously and replied, "I'm flattered by the invite, but I can't go with ya."

* * *

Richie watched Rai. She looked **way** better in shorts than in sweats. As he was staring, he noticed the crowd ahead of him slow down and stopped as most of them were pulled down.

"All of you, stop ogling the girls and get back to your laps!" the coach yelled as the boys tried to get up and untangle themselves.

Then one of the guys who was behind him went up to Rai. He was immediately suspicious and nearly ran as he heard him say the words "…go to the Spring Dance with me."

"Foley what the hell! Get back here!" the coach yelled he ignored it.

He arrived just as the guy asked, "Why not?"

Richie quickly stepped in front of him and grabbed Rai's hand. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her blush.

"She can't go to the dance with you because she's going with her **boyfriend**," he replied smartly.

The guy let out a snort that was probably from suppressing his laughter.

"Who's her boyfriend, **you**? Ha! As if a hottie like **that** would go out with **you**!" the guy retorted.

Almost too quick for him to see, Rai had stepped forward and slapped that guy so hard that he moved back a couple of steps.

"Damn arrogant egghead. I'm flattered by the compliment, but I'd _appreciate_ it if you _didn't_ insult my taste in _men_," Rai said in what was officially christened The Voice, the same that was used on the pool pervert.

It was dripping with anger and icy venom. That guy was lucky he got away with a slap. He immediately returned to the track embarrassed and rubbing the Rai-sized palm print on his cheek.

She turned back to Richie smiling sweetly and said, "Thanks for the save. And I think I really _will_ go with you."

Richie returned her smile and kissed her cheek, causing her to blush madly. He could feel the shocked eyes of the girls behind him.

"Foley, get your ass over here this **instant **or it's a **week's** detention for you!" the coach bellowed.

He gave Rai a small wave and returned to the track to finish his laps. All the while, he was enduring the congratulations and jealous glares of several other guys in the class.

* * *

Rai was still blushing and trying to put together what had just happened. 

_"Richie…**kissed** me…in **public**…in front…of everyone…WHAT THE HELL! Now I'll **never** get Daisy and Frieda off my back. Dammit." _Rai winced at her thoughts.

She finally made it to the bleachers and Daisy and Frieda began the torture that is "Girl Talk." She was relieved when they finally moved to the baseball field to play softball. Pwning most of the other girls (the ones who didn't play softball and some of the suckier players) really helped her. One thing was certain: She was going to need all the help she could get to prepare for the dance. And Daisy and Frieda were the only ones for the job.

"Damn," she said under her breath as she came to the conclusion.

* * *

Since the new dialogue style makes the divisions less clear, I've employed page breaks. If they annoy you, tell me so. Don't review just to say the story sucks(the chapter is okay, if that's how you feel), but if you're STILL reading THIS far into the story, then you're WAY too late to say you hate it. I can understand up to the third chapter, first chapters you give the chance, second chapters you check for improvements and third chapters you have the right to say it sucks or you don't like it. Point out my weak points, don't dismiss the whole thing, please! Flamers will be dressed as Bishonen and thrown into random fangirls' closets.


	12. Chapter 12

Rai laid her head on Richie's shoulder and grabbed a handful of popcorn from the bowl in his hands. She, Richie, and Virgil were at his house watching a movie. "Hey, Rich pass the popcorn," Virgil requested. Richie passed it over to him. Rai's phone rang.

"Sorry," she said to them both before leaving the room to answer her phone.

She flipped it open and answered.

#~#~#

"Hello."

"_Rai-chan! I've missed you soooo much! O genki desu?" _

"Heaven?"

"_Hai hai, Rai-chan! I'm so glad I finally got your number!"_.

"How **did** you git my number?"

"_Your mother gave it to Brookelyn, and I checked her phone without permission,"_

"**BROOKELYN HAS MY PHONE NUMBER! THE SINGLE-MOST BLACK-HEARTED PERSON IN ALL OF HODDING CARTER HIGH SCHOOL**?"

"…_Hai…"_

Rai felt the eyes of Richie and Virgil on her back.

"So, why'd ya call?"

"_I missed you Rai-chan. No one else but you would talk to me an' it's kind of lonely around here without you,"_

Rai's heart softened. The girl was practically a saint, and she was treated like the plague.

"Well, what've you been up to?"

"_I'm one step closer to my goal. I've memorized a few songs and I'm going to release a cover album hopefully,"_

"Sweet. I'm lookin' forward to it,"

"_Rai-chan, what happened to your accent? It's not as pronounced as it used to be,"_

"It must be from hangin' around all these Yankees,"

"_Oh! Before I forget, would you mind if I came to visit you during spring break?"_

"Um, I'm still in school then, but I don't mind at all, although I'll have to ask my mama,"

"_Yay! Call me later, okay? Domo Arigatou, Rai-chan! Jaa ne!"_

"Bye,"

Heaven hung up and she closed her phone.

#~#~#

She returned to the couch and her place next to Richie.

"So who's the 'single most black-hearted person in all of Hodding Carter High School'?" Richie asked.

Rai was caught off guard. "Y'all heard that, huh?" she asked.

Richie and Virgil nodded.

"Let's just say she's someone I'd rather forget,"

"Fine, but you'll have to tell us sometime," Virgil said.

"Virgil, I need your help at the community center tomorrow," mr. Hawkins asked.

"No problem, Pops," Virgil replied.

"What's goin on at the community center?" Rai asked.

"We're having a talent show next week and we're preparing for the auditions," Mr. Hawkins responded.

Just then, a thought came to Rai's mind.

"What's the prize?" she asked.

"Two hundred dollars," he replied.

"We should compete," Virgil said.

"The competition is off-limits to community center employees and their families," Mr. Hawkins stated.

"Dang. We would have been awesome," Virgil joked.

"Mr. Hawkins, could I sign up a frien a mine?" Rai asked politely.

"I don't see why not," he replied.

"Thank you very much," she said sincerely.

"No problem, you just make sure these jokers get there after school tomorrow," he replied.

"Yes sir," she responded.

He turned and went into the kitchen.

* * *

Richie looked at Rai. What friend could she have to sign up for the show? He and Virgil weren't competing and Daisy and Frieda were so caught up in dance preparations that he doubted they'd even care about the show. She was hiding something.

"Richie, could you stop staring at me?" she asked.

He returned to reality.

"Sorry," he responded.

"It's almost seven. I gotta get home since tomorrow's a school day," Rai said.

"I'll walk you," Richie replied.

"See ya tomorrow, Virgil," Rai said as she waved goodbye.

"See ya later, V," Richie said before leaving behind Rai.

"Later," he replied.

After he closed the door, he immediately reached for Rai's hand. Since that incident on Monday, word was all over school that Richie was dating Rai. One of them was always being bugged about it, so a few minutes of peace was a luxury to them.

"So who's the friend you want to sign up for the talent show?" Richie asked out of nowhere.

"She's someone I knew back home. The girl's a real saint, but no one understands her so she's pritty much alone most of the time,"

"If she's a saint, I don't see why anyone wouldn't like her,"

Rai sighed and explained.

"She's a strange girl. She'd stand out even here, an I've seen some pretty strange things in this town. It don't help that her step-sister's a total bitch and makes her life miserable."

"Oh," he replied, "So, what's her name?"

"Her **name's** what gits her in trouble most of the time,"

"So she has a weird name, so what?"

Rai removed her hand from his grasp and responded.

"She's a strange girl with a strange name in a small southern town full of intolerant hicks and rednecks. It don't help that her sister is the queen of intolerance or that her parents couldn't give a damn about her! Remember these scars?" she ranted, holding up her arms for him to see, "These came from saving Heaven form those bastards! The girl's been bullied, harassed and assaulted more times than even you or Virgil could count, and she never did anything to deserve it! All she does is exist and people hate her for it."

Richie saw the fury and pain in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know," he replied.

He reached for her hand again and she didn't push him away. He figured that meant that she had accepted his apology.

"So…um…what did you say her name was again?"

She sighed and replied.

"Her name is Heaven."

"Yeah. So what's Heaven's talent?"

Rai smiled nostalgically and replied.

"You'll have to find out yourself, Mister." She gave him a quick kiss and went inside her house.

* * *

There's really not too much to this one. Heaven's intro happens, which is important to the plot, but not much else except maybe a tiny peek into Rai's past. Rai's quite secretive about her past. There's a lot she didn't tell the guys and even some she doesn't know herself...don't hate me for letting my imagination run wild. The plot bunnies attacked my dream and wouldn't let me sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

"So what do you guys wanna do this weekend?" Virgil asked.

Rai shrugged.

"We could see that monster movie marathon at the theater," Richie suggested.

"We saw that same marathon on TV yesterday," Rai said, "and no matter how many times we see it, I will not get scared and grab onto you."

She shot him a warning glance. Daisy walked over.

"Hey guys, did you hear? Monty Wilkins is having a party tomorrow and everyone from our homeroom is invited!" she announced as she sat next to Virgil.

"Daisy, you wanna go with me?"

"Sure!"

Richie looked at Rai.

"You wanna go?" he asked.

Rai sighed.

"We can't remember? We gotta help at the community center."

"Right."

"So is your friend gonna make the auditions?" Virgil asked.

"Maybe not in person, but I foun' a CD a her last performance an' if she can't come, I'll play it for the judges."

"You still never told us what her talent was." Daisy said.

"You'll find out at the auditions," Rai said slyly, "But I'm worried no one else'll git in if she auditions."

#~#~#

Just then Rai's phone vibrated and she excused herself before going outside to answer it.

"Hey, Heaven, what's up?"

"_We're all set to leave on Friday night!"_

"Cool. I got a surprise for ya when ya git here."

"_You don't have to. Just getting ta see you again will be awesome."_

"Well, you're too late now. Everythin's set."

"_Thanks. I gotta go. Just wanted to tell ya I'm leaving Friday."_

"Bye. See ya then."

They hung up and Rai returned to Richie and the others.

#~#~#

"That was quick," Virgil pointed out.

"She was callin' me from a bathroom stall in between classes. Phones aren't allowed on campus at all back at Carter. She had to be quick."

"That must suck," Daisy added.

"They don't enforce it. Only a select few are actually expected to follow the rules at Carter. I'm just glad I don't have to go there now."

"I wouldn't wanna go there either," Daisy replied.

"All the kids with any sense don't wanna be there either," Rai said, "It's livin' hell for people who wanna do somethin with their lives."

Virgil smiled and said, "Then I guess you're one of the ones who wanna do somethin with their lives."

"Let's move away from the gloomy stuff. How long will you guys be at the center?" Daisy asked.

"I heard there were a lot of auditions. Probably till at least six o'clock. Why?" Virgil replied.

"If you guys are done by eight, we could still make the party. Besides there's this new store in the mall that I think Rai would love and if you guys wanna go to the party, me, Frieda, and Rai can go check it out."

"When do you intend to go shoppin?" Rai asked skeptically.

"Frieda and I were already going after school today, so if you wanna come we can meet up when the bell rings and head straight to the mall."

"Sure. Got nutin better'da do."

"You won't make me look bad, will you?" Richie asked playfully.

Rai lightly punched his arm.

As everyone was putting up trays, Richie's watch signaled a metahuman alert and he signaled Virgil. He kissed Rai and moved towards the door.

"We left our homework in our lockers and we still have to finish a couple of questions. I'll see you in class," Richie said as he left.

He heard her sigh as he left.

* * *

"She's getting annoyed and will ask questions soon," he told Virgil as they were changing.

"Well, at least it's been a slow few days, aside from patrol, we really haven't had much to do lately. So what's the deal on this one?"

"A new metahuman gang. From the reports, it's three of them."

"Let's go then. We don't wanna drag this out."

They flew off to one of the poorer residential areas where the metahumans were sighted.

* * *

Rai sneezed. She listened idly to the teacher's lecture.

"_I can't believe he ditched me again_," Rai thought.

How he managed to be Dakota High's top student with all his absences was beyond her.

"_I know the reason_," she thought.

It hadn't taken her long to figure out the reason. It didn't mean she was happy about being ditched on a regular basis, but at least she knew he wasn't up to something.

"_I'll confront them tonight_," she thought before shifting her thoughts back to her schoolwork.

* * *

"Man, these girls are tough!" Gear said to Static.

"You're tellin me!" he replied as he dodged a blast from the redhead.

"Who are you guys?" Gear asked while trying to subdue the blond catlike member of the trio.

"NeKo desu!" she replied.

"What?" Gear said as he was cut off guard and took a roundhouse to the side.

"I'm NeKo. You'd get it if you were Japanese," she said snidely as she decided to fight Static for a while.

"What's your name?" Static asked sarcastically to the redhead.

"Sparx. Yoroshiku!" she said as she tried to hit him with a whip of red lightening…or what he thought was red lightening.

NeKo sprinted, leapt, and tried to kick the side of Static's face but he dodged and she sprung from the side of a building and landed on her feet.

"Tomare," said the observant, yet-to-be-named member of the trio.

They returned to her side and Static and Gear looked at them.

"I am Hypnosis. Sorry to have troubled you, but we haven't found what we were looking for so we're leaving now," she walked towards the boys and they were battle ready and she gave them a large wad of money, "that's for collateral damage and any severe injuries you may have. It's not stolen."

She moved to walk away.

"What were you looking for?" Gear asked dumfounded.

"Nothing you should worry about," she replied cryptically.

"You can't expect us to just let you leave!" Static said as he prepared to pursue.

"We're not criminals, we're detectives. We work for a private agency in Japan. The costumes and codenames are to protect our anonymity. Plus, while we're here, we have diplomatic immunity," she said as she walked away with her comrades.

She threw down a smoke bomb and then they were gone.

"This is weird," Gear observed.

"Let's get back to school for now and analyze later," Static suggested.

"Roger. Rai is gonna be pissed," he mused.

"That's YOUR problem," Static/Virgil replied.

* * *

Well, I know it wasn't too great, but things are gonna get more complicated soon. I tried to make a decent fight scene...sorry if it sucked. The pacing is gonna slow down a bit though(or speed up, idk which one to call it). Please review, because your feedback helps me be better. Flamers will be put into a solid stone room with a mad PMS-ing Rai.


	14. Chapter 14

Rai walked down the school steps with Richie and Virgil. She saw Frieda and Daisy wave to her.

"I need to talk to you guys later about something. See you tonight," she said seriously before giving Richie a good by kiss and a hug and leaving with Daisy and Frieda.

"I think we're screwed," Richie said.

"If she asks then we just make an excuse like we always do, and if that doesn't work, we could try telling the truth and hope it works,"

"You're not even thinking seriously about this, are you?"

"Don't worry about it, Rich. It's probably not even that. So just take it easy till then,"

"fine,"

* * *

"Can we walk by my house first? I need to get more money and a couple of other things," Rai requested.

"Sure. If you have more money that means you can get more stuff," Daisy replied.

"Or better stuff. It doesn't matter to me as long as I'm home by eight tonight," Frieda replied.

"Oh, and I gotta pick up somthin but don't let the boys fin out what it is. It's a surprise,"

Daisy and Frieda exchanged knowing looks.

"It has nothin to do with me an Richie,"

They walked along in silence. When they reached Rai's house, they found a letter on the coffee table.

"She'll be with Johnathan tonight, so I got free reign," Rai said before heading up to her room.

"Come to think of it, when I was here a few weeks ago, her mother wasn't here then either,"

"Really?"

"Yeah. From what I know, her mother is either working or with her boyfriend most of the time,"

"And her father doesn't live with her. Her parents must be divorced or something then, right?"

"I guess, but Richie and Virgil say she doesn't like bringing up her past and her father especially,"

"Enough gloom. Let's think about the awesome outfits we're gonna buy,"

"I'm back. Let's git'r'done," Rai said as she came down the stairs.

"Alright," Daisy said as they made their way to the door. Rai let them out and then pulled out her keys to lock the door. Once it was locked, they proceeded to the mall.

* * *

"Hey, Rich, do you remember how to do this?"

"Yeah, you just solve like number eight but instead of dividing by three, you multiply by one third and reduce the fraction,"

"Thanks,"

"Isn't Rai usually with you two this time of day?" Mr. Hawkins asked the boys.

"She went shopping with Daisy and Frieda," Virgil replied.

"Who's Rai?" Trina asked as she entered the room.

"She's Richie's girlfriend and a friend of Virgil's," Mr. Hawkins replied to his girlfriend.

Richie turned red.

"Really?" Trina asked.

"Yeah, but it took them two months before they finally admitted they liked each other," Virgil teased.

"Shut up," Richie told him.

"Oh, she's the girl you guys were talking to the other day when I left in a hurry," Trina said, "She's cute. I'm happy for you Richie."

"Thanks," he replied, still slightly pink.

"Oh yeah, Pops, there's a party the same night as the try-outs for the talent show and I was wondering if I could go if we finished by then,"

"Who's throwing it?" Mr. Hawkins asked.

"Monty Wilkins," Virgil replied.

"Is it chaperoned?"

"Far as I know, told me his uncle would be there,"

"As long as you're home by eleven,"

"You rule, Pops," Virgil said as he got a soda from the fridge.

* * *

"The store I was telling you about is just past the cell phone kiosk," Daisy said to Rai, who was beginning to lose patience.

"There it is," She said as they stood outside the store in question.

Rai was in awe.

"Muddy River Girls Boutique," she read the name of the store. Then, something in the display caught her eye. In the window stood a mannequin wearing a Mississippi flag halter, faded low-rise jeans held up with a cowgirl-style belt with a big silver buckle, and maroon cowgirl boots. Daisy and Frieda exchanged a small high five and knowing looks.

"I'm getting that," Rai said to them as she rushed in and looked for every item she saw on the mannequin. The staff all gave Rai surprised looks. Daisy and Frieda followed Rai into the store and began looking on their own.

"Everyone's staring at Rai. You think she's noticed?" Frieda asked Daisy.

"I don't think so. I don't think she'd let it go,"

"Hey, Could one a you help me over here? I cain't reach that shelf," she asked them.

"Sure," Frieda said, being the taller of the two.

"You're a size six? You're so athletic I thought you'd be no bigger than a size four," Frieda said looking at the jeans she'd gotten for Rai.

"I got big hips an I done put on five pounds since I got here," Rai said as Freida handed her the jeans.

"You don't look like it," Daisy said.

"Thanks," Rai said, " I'm gonna go get the belt an then I'll be done here. After this, we need to go by Riff Masterzz."

"Sure," Daisy replied.

* * *

"Okay, so here's what I've got on our mystery trio," Richie said as he uploaded the data from Backpack to Virgil's computer.

Up popped a picture of a tall curvaceous redhead wearing tight black leather pants, black wedge-heeled boots, a tight red leather mini-jacket, a pink belly shirt, and over-sized black sunglasses.

"That's Sparks," Virgil said.

"She calls herself Sparx for a reason. Her power is to control light energy,"

"That's why she shoots fire _and_ lightening,"

"Then we have miss kitty, NeKo," Richie said as he brought up the next picture.

In the picture was a petite lithe-bodied girl with long blond hair, blue eyes the size of saucers with pupils making up ninety percent of their size, a round cat-like face and pointed ears wearing a cat ear headband, a high-necked black sleeveless leotard with a heart cut in the chest and black stiletto boots that came up to her mid thigh.

"Her power seems to be enhanced senses, flexibility, and agility. Neko is Japanese for cat, but the suffix –ko also means girl," Richie stated, "I looked it up."

Virgil looked at him and Richie brought up the next picture. The picture was of a girl who was of average build who had shoulder-length brunette hair and wore a black headband, huge black triangle glasses*, a black v-neck leotard with the bottom cut into short-shorts, a yellow biker mini-jacket and white ankle boots.

"That's their leader," Virgil observed.

"Hypnosis. I don't really know what her power is, but I'm guessing it has something to do with mind control, telepathy-"

"Or hypnosis,"

"What she said about working for a private agency in Shibuya, Tokyo seems right. They've all been spotted at, around, or near Eien Industries," Richie said.

"But?"

"The owner of Eien, Shinnosuke Kurozawa, is rumored to be in the Yakuza, the Japanese mob,"

"So the 'private agency' they work for may be the mob?"

Richie nodded.

"It's really strange. When we asked what they were looking for, they said 'the future' and they work for a company whose name means 'infinity'. I don't know what Eien does, but I'm guessing it has something to do with the future, or time in general,"

"What are Japanese criminals doing here in Dakota?"

"I don't know either, but I wanna find out before it's too late,"

"we'll see if we can get any info during patrol tonight,"

* * *

Daisy and Frieda looked on in amazement at Rai.

"You play guitar?" Frieda asked, amazed.

The employee scoffed at them and said, "Are you blind? It only has four strings; guitars have six."

"I play bass. I got this one cuz it looks like an acoustic guitar so when I start playin people are surprised," Rai said, "I was havin it restrung. It's a **BM2730 Martin BC-16GTE**. It's got a Sitka spruce top with mahogany back and sides. It's a real beauty."

"I'll say," the employee replied, "since you already spent so much on getting this strung, I'll give you thirty percent off of any accessories. What kind of amp do you use?"

"Thanks. Cain't afford ta git my own, so I just use whatever's available whenever I play in public,"

"I can show you some amps and you can use your thirty percent on that,"

"I also got a coupon for fifty percent off any purchase a hundred bucks or more. I still git that extra thirty?"

"Yeah. As long as you got the money,"

"Great,"

He took them over to a display of amps.

"These are the used amps. This one was returned after three days because some kid got in trouble for using his mom's credit card. Used amps have twenty-five percent taken from their original price anyway. So fifteen hundred fifty minus thirty percent, minus fifty percent…damn that's a lot of money off…" he mumbled.

"What model is this?" Rai asked.

"**PA2242 Trillium Signature Series 2x12 combo**,"

"I like it. It's a nice accent to my Ganguro,"

"Ganguro?" Freida and Daisy asked together.

"my frien Heaven named my bass. She said it looked like a ganguro girl. They're really dark Japanese girls with blond hair,"

Their faces lit up when they understood the meaning.

"Heh, yeah, that is clever," Daisy said.

"Imma go pay an then we can leave, kay?"

"Yeah, we've got enough,"

* * *

"Hey, Pops, I gotta ask you something," Virgil said as he approached his father from the stairs.

"What is it?"

"You heard anything about Yakuza or three metahuman girls from Japan running around Dakota?"

"I heard that today you and Richie defeated a trio of metahuman girls," Mr. Hawkins replied, "Why do you want to know?"

"Richie found out that they work for some company in Japan that might or might not be run by a mobster,"

"I don't know what they'd be after. But I'm not a Japanese mobster, so I can't tell what one would think,"

"It's not like the Bang Babies. These aren't repeat offense gangbangers. These girls have costumes and hide their faces and fight like professionals. Even their aliases are smarter,"

"Well, I don't know what to tell you. Why don't you use patrol to clear your head like you always do?"

"Thanks, Pop, on my way now," Virgil said as he left to go on patrol.

* * *

*think Kamina's glasses from Gurren Lagann only black.

* * *

Another installment. I took down the other 14 because the life expired and I wanted to edit the author's note. I've decided to postpone the cohost contest and make it on whatever episode is after I get enough applicants. So...my vision is deteriorating so I wanted to write and post while I could. I am becoming obsessed with writing this. Anyway, see you next chapter!


	15. Chapter 15

"nothing! I can't believe we not only got nothing on the mob girls, but there was no bang babies out at all tonight!" Virgil ranted.

"Take it easy, V. We can still wait till they show up again,"

"Oh yeah, heard from Rai yet?"

"Not that I know of,"

They opened the door and saw her leaning against Richie's 'desk'. They quickly tried to cover.

"Um, who are you and how did you get in here?" Richie asked.

"I know it's you Richie. An I know Virgil's Static,"

"What are you talking about?" Richie said nervously.

"Not only do Gear n Static look like Virgil n Richie, they also sound like Virgil n Richie. Virgil n Richie also conveniently disappear moments before Static and Gear show up. Care ta prove me false?"

Richie was trying to think of a comeback when she suddenly removed his helmet.

"You also left yer glasses on tha table fer anyone'na see," she said as she slipped them back on his face.

"Jig's up," Virgil submitted.

He removed his mask and shades. Rai smiled triumphantly. She punched them each in the arm.

"What was that for?" Virgil asked as he massaged his aching arm.

"That's for keepin somethin this important a secret from me. And this," she began as she hugged them both, "Is for comin back safe n bein heroes."

"I only get a hug?" Richie complained.

"For complainin, yes,"

Just as he was about to retort, she stood on her toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"You fight dirty,"

"Nope. You're just helpless against my weapons,"

"Anyway, we have some work to do," Virgil said.

"Yeah, mobsters. I heard your rant," Rai replied, "So you got Sicilians in Dakota?"

"No. The Japanese mob. Yakuza," Richie said.

"Say so sooner. Heaven knows everything about this stuff. Did they have full-body tattoos?"

"Well, we only really saw their legs and one girl's midriff, but they had no tattoos that we know of…"

"We don't know for sure if they're members. We just know they work for a company rumored to be run by the Yakuza,"

"They're female. I'd have to ask Heaven to specify on this. Were they missing any fingers? Or even just finger pieces?"

"Not that I saw," Richie replied, "Why are you asking?"

"I'm tryin'a help,"

"No! No way in hell!" Richie protested.

"Wow. Richie said a bad word…" Rai muttered.

"I agree with Richie. It's too dangerous,"

"Why the hell not?" Rai asked, "It's not like I'm out there fightin fire blastin loonies. I'm just helpin you investigate some suspects."

"What?" Richie asked.

"That hero stuff ain't for me, at least not this decade, but I wanna help. If it means makin the streets a little safer er one less cut for you guys, I wanna help however I can,"

"If anyone finds out who you are, you'll be in a lot of danger," Virgil warned.

"If it's a fight, I know I could hold my own hand-ta-hand with some a those guys y'all fight, and you can give me some'a those things you use ta subdue the baddies in case one'a the tougher ones gets at me,"

"This is a major decision. You should think about it more," Virgil pressed.

"I've thought about this for a while now. But I won't bring it up again for a while. With Heaven comin I don't need you guys upset with me an startin stuff,"

"I don't want you here!" Richie snapped.

* * *

Cliffie...yeah I'm evil. It's really important. Yeah...so...

* * *

xxx5x Omakexxx

*out walks Yuuki-chan*

Y: Hello all! So, with tensions mounting for the gang I thought I'd do an opinion episode.

*pulls out notecards*

Y: Okay, here are the questions for the audience!

1)Why do you think that, with everything Rai _has _told people about her past, she still keeps so many things secret?

2)Do you think her reasons are for vanity(her rep), chivalry(she's protecting someone or something) or some greater cause?

3)How do you feel about her timing in revealing her secrets and in revealing her discovery to the boys?

4) How do you think the others feel about this(Daisy, Freida, Virgil and Richie)?

5)What effect do you think these recent events will have on her relationships to other characters?

6)Do you think Richie's reaction at the end of 15 is selfish or out of concern?

7)How do you think Virgil feels about this?

8) Do you think the Yakuza Girls' appearance has any significance to the plot other than being the antagonists?

9)Do you think the direction the plot has taken was inevitable or forced?

10)A] What do you think will happen next?

B]What do you _want _to happen next?

Y:Now obviously, I don't expect you to answer all of those! Pick 3-6 of them to answer and post your answer in a review. Please note which question you are answering. And if you answer 10, you must answer A and B. Also, PLEASE check reviews to see which questions have been answered. A good rule of thumb is to only answer a question that has not received at least 3 answers(meaning, if it's answered 3 times already, please do another question). I'd LIKE at least three answers for each question, but I'll take what I can get. Thank you for reading and i hope you all continue reading happily.


	16. Chapter 16

Rai reeled back. An uneasy silence filled the room. "Rich, that's going too far."

"It's alright Virgil. At least he's honest."

Richie and Virgil both drew back a little. Her voice was soft and hurt. She smiled sadly.

"I really liked you, ya know," she added, "guess I'll git goin then."

She turned to walk away.

Richie came out of his daze.

"That's not what I meant!" he blurted out, "I meant I don't want you to help! I don't want to be the reason you get hurt or killed! I know it's selfish, but I know what we do is dangerous and if you got tangled in it, random psychic powers wouldn't save you if you were in trouble. I'm supposed to protect you, but that doesn't mean I want to have to do it. I'd rather go to hell than let you even one step into danger."

Rai turned around to face him.

"How ya think I feel?" she snapped, "Ever since I found out, I've been so worried bout you two! How do you think I feel knowin that one day, you might leave to stop some psycho an never come back? I'd be more than willin ta take a bullet if it meant y'all would be safe! Don't think yer the only one who feels that way!"

Richie was dumbstruck.

Virgil tried to suppress his laughter and failed.

"What's so damn funny?" they both asked at the same time.

"You said another bad word," Rai pointed out.

"You say it all the time."

"Yeah, but you're supposed to be the good one in the relationship."

"You guys almost ruined your relationship because you felt the same way about each other. Don't tell me you don't see the irony in that. And now it's almost like nothing ever happened."

"I feel so stupid right now," Rai responded.

"Me too."

"Let's just all go home for the night, cool?" Virgil suggested.

"My mama ain't home tonight so I ain't gotta be home for a while."

"I wanna get more information on the Yakuza Girls anyway…" Richie added.

"Yakuza Girl's tha name of a pervy Japanese comic. Please stop calling them that," Rai requested.

"Okay," he replied a bit put off.

"You can do that at home. Your mom will kill you if she catches you," Virgil protested.

"Fine."

"Man, I don't wanna have ta listen ta stupid fangirls talk bout their sex dreams in gym tomorrow."

Richie and Virgil chuckled.

"I'm tired of listenin ta them talking about what they think y'all'er like in bed. It's disturbing. Plus it pisses me off that I'm datin you an' they're the ones who're seein you naked."

Virgil and Richie both blushed tomato red at the explanation. Then realization hit Richie.

"You're jealous," he teased.

"Jealous, no. Disturbed, yes. I'm datin ya'n I don't even picture ya naked like that," she answered with a mock shudder.

"I'm leaving," Virgil said before heading out.

"You said you were mad because they were seeing me naked and not you."

"How'd you feel if the situation was reversed?"

"It's already like that for me. Most of them tease me about you, but some still like to talk about their own fantasies. I just want to hit them usually."

"Least you can. I cain't tell em I'm datin Gear cuz they'll either not believe it er believe it'n figure out yer identity," she fired back, "but I gotta admit, som'a those girls'r real creative with those doodads you carry around."

"You still fight dirty."

"Poor Richie."

"Where'd Virgil go?" Rai asked.

"I guess we were so focused on each other we didn't notice."

"Tonight really isn't our night."

"I agree."

* * *

So...yeah...things are resolved and happy again, stupid, I know, but still. If they didn't make up, plans for future chapters would be ruined. Things will become very complicated...also, please review! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE. I know only a few people are into this, but still...I've practically done nothing but write this stuff for the past few weeks. Some appreciation would be appreciated.


	17. Chapter 17

"So how long ya got till yer mama catches ya?"

"About an hour,"

"Well, mind walkin me home? I kinda missed'cha today,"

"Why walk, when I can fly you home?"

"Fly? But won'chu git caught? I mean what if someone sees you with me?"

"I could always say I rescued you from gang members,"

"If you insist."

"What are you waiting for then? Come here."

"How're we gonna do this?"

"I'm gonna carry you. I would give you a piggyback, but it would be really awkward and uncomfortable for us both."

Rai pictured Richie holding her bridal style as they moved across the night sky and her face heated at the clichéd romanticism of it. Her blush deepened when she realized how cool she thought it would be. She approached him cautiously.

"Just put your arms around my neck like you're hugging me."

Rai did so and blushed as she felt Richie's arms on her back and legs. Her heart jumped when she felt him lift her off the ground. She let out a squeak of shock when she felt them fly up into the sky.

"Oh my god! It's cold up here! It's so awesome!"

"Glad you think so."

"It's so cheesy but it's also really great. Look at the sky!"

"It's really cool right?"

"Yeah. You get ta do this all'a time, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Just another perk'a the job…"

"…yeah…"

"I should probly shut up now…"

"No! I mean, I guess I'm just so used to this that I take it for granted. It's like walking I guess, it becomes normal and you don't think twice about it."

"I wish I could fly. Be like you n do this all the time. How cool would that be?"

"Maybe we can work something out…"

"Like what?"

"Well, I still have some older rocket blades that work almost the same as these. I think I might be able to refurbish them for you."

"Really? Ya don't have ta do that. What if ya need them?"

"I have plenty."

"Are you sure?"

They touched down onto Rai's back yard and he put her down.

"Yeah. You couldn't really use them in public, but they'd be good for an occasional midnight fly around the block."

"That's sweet, but I think I like flyin with you better. 'Sides, I cain't skate ta save my life."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I might start charging for these night rides."

"Chargin what?"

"Maybe…this…."

He leaned down and gave her a small kiss on her lips.

"And you say I fight dirty."

"Just using your own trick against you."

"Well, if that's all yer chargin, I think I can do it."

"Really? Well then, I guess we have an agreement."

"Haha, not so fast, "Candyman." I ain't agreed ta anything yet."

"Really? Well, what about now?"

He kissed her again.

"Still not sure."

"Now?"

He kissed her longer.

"Hmmm maybe…but not quite."

He pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her passionately. She responded with equal fervor and snaked her arms around him. They parted and looked at each other for a moment.

"Alright. You've persuaded me."

"I knew I was irresistible."

"Not irresistible. Hard ta resist maybe, but not irresistible."

"Do you have to ruin my fun?"

"No, but it's fun and yer disappointed face's really funny."

"I have to go, but you can enjoy my disappointed face all you want tomorrow at school."

"Aww, poor you."

Richie made a face.

"Good night, Richie. Be careful. Please."

"I will."

She gave him a quick hug and he flew away. She hurriedly entered the house after realizing how cold it was outside.

* * *

So...yeah. I was thinking of an episode(don't know if it was real or just me) where Virgil flies Daisy on his disc thingy and thought of the independent tough girl Rai blushing and being held bridal style(or 'like a princess' for you manga fans *wink*) by Richie. I thought it was cute and a nice contradiction to her character because Rai doesn't seem that type really. And she was embarrassed at being romantic! Yeah...my mind is a strange place that is almost always consumed by Rai and the Shock gang's antics. Also, do any of you recognize the hint back to an earlier chapter? Just read and review please. I have officially given up on getting reviews by holding contests or the like. It's not like anyone cares anyway...soooooooooo yeah. Just push that little button and we can all go home happy.


	18. Chapter 18

Virgil, Richie, and Rai were walking to the center from school to help prep for auditions for the talent show.

"So what do you think he wants us to do?"

"I don't know. Probably just hook up the sound system. I hear Adam used his connections to get some new stuff for the center."

"Guess that's what y'all are for. I'll probly end up just carryin stuff."

"So, what time do you have to meet Heaven at the airport?"

"Her flight's scheduled ta land at seven, so Imma be there bout ten till."

"How are you getting her back to your place?"

"I asked my mama ta try'n git off early tonight in case I need a ride."

"You know, Rai, I'm sure Sharon wouldn't mind."

They opened the doors of the community center and went inside.

"That's alright. I already mooch enough off'a yall. But if my mama don't come through, I'll think about it."

"I don't think you should go alone. At least let me come with you."

"Richie, she ain't seen me in almost four months, n no offense, but I see you every day. You can go without me for an hour or so."

He gave her a hard look.

"I keep pepper spray with me an I've got an old box cutter I can use."

"Still doesn't make me feel better."

"Trust me. It's enough."

"Let's drop the subject."

They did so and entered the gymnasium of the center where there were already volunteers scattered around doing various things like cleaning, moving equipment, and setting up the judges' table. They placed their bags in a corner with the belongings of some other volunteers and went to find Mr. Hawkins. They found him and were approaching him when Rai spotted Sharon talking to someone she recognized.

"I'll catch up in a sec."

She approached Sharon and the girl she was talking to. The girl had a light tan was tall with a strong athletic build and long legs. Her almost-black hair was tied in a loose ponytail that hung just past her shoulder blades.

"You Bianca Seo?"

The girl turned around and looked at Rai. Rai was certain she knew the girl after one look at her familiar gold-colored eyes. A look of realization came into them as she recognized Rai.

"I am. I take it you're Rai Martin?"

"Yup."

"Wait. How do the two of you know each other?"

"She's my girlfriend's best friend."

"Yeah. She n Heaven go back bout three years."

"I thought you were from Mississippi?"

"She is. I recognize her from pictures Heaven showed me."

"That's how I reconginzed Bianca too."

"But Sharon, how do you know Rai?"

"She's dating Virgil's friend Richie."

"So when did you move to Dakota?"

"Almost four months ago. Surprised Heaven didn't tell ya."

"Her parents switched her phone plan to save money so we keep it short when we talk."

"Oh. How much you wanna bet Brookelyn still has the best plan money can buy?"

"I'm not a betting person. But if I was, I'd say the odds are pretty good."

"Wait, Bianca, how do you know Sharon?"

"Up until almost two years ago, I came to the center for counseling. You know, typical gay teenager stuff."

"So did Heaven tell ya she's comin ta visit over her break?"

"Yeah. She wanted me to meet her at the airport but she said she was staying with a friend."

"Yeah. I gotta go pick her up."

"Rai, we're on equipment duty. Mind coming to help?"

"Sure. Well, thanks for the offer Bianca. Just holler when yer ready ta leave."

"Will do. By the way, he's pretty good catch for a guy."

Rai laughed at her comment and left to help the boys set up the equipment.

"What was that "pretty good catch for a guy" stuff about?"

"She wasn't insulting you. She's a lesbian, so it's a compliment."

"O…kay. So who is she?"

"Heaven's girlfriend. They've been datin long distance for bout three years since Heaven came ta Dakota one time for a summer program. She still visits regularly."

"So on top of having some mysterious super-talent, your friend is also a lesbian?"

"Yup."

"You get stranger all the time."

"Ain't that the pot callin the kettle black?"

"I thought you wouldn't bring that up again?"

"I didn't say I wouldn't bring up yer double life."

"blah blah blah. Let's just get this over with so we can party."

* * *

This is a story arc! It's like...so far...five or six chapters long, but I'm revising so it might condense a bit. So...yeah...Bianca was actually a fairly last-minute addition to this plotline, although she had been concieved almost the instant I thought of Heaven. For anyone who's curious, Bianca is half Korean and half white. So...to minimize confusion, imagine the palest Korean girl you can, then give her an average tan(the kind you get from just being outside a lot, which is why I say light tan). Also, Aside from her height and lighter eye color, everything else is pretty much just average Korean features(use Korean dramas or singers as reference if nessasary). I'm very happy right now so please review!


	19. Chapter 19

They proceeded to set up the equipment. Most of the large equipment was unpacked and ready to be set up so they made quick work of it. They moved the speakers into position and connected them to the control system backstage. Among the things that had been donated for the event were some amps, microphones, and a used drum kit that was still in good condition. The kit was set up on a short rolling platform to be moved quickly if needed. Rai had set up the drum kit, amps and mics with minimal assistance from the boys. Richie moved backstage to test the control panel and Rai and Virgil tested the microphones.

"Testing 1, 2, 3. 3, 2, 1 Testing."

"Haha, check it out, I'm Puff Daddy."

Virgil playfully beatboxed into the mic.

"Hey Richie, too much echo. Turn it down about two notches."

"okay."

Richie adjusted the sound and Rai sang scales into the microphone again.

"How does it sound now?"

Rai shrugged and tested the mic one last time.

"Alright, sounds perfect. Anymore fine-tuning can be done by the people auditioning."

Richie moved from backstage and stood on stage with Virgil and Rai.

"I didn't really take you for a music person."

"Well, ya cain't judge a book by its cover."

"Even if it's a very nice one?"

"No. Thank you, but no. People's appearances contradict their personality more often than they like ta think."

"you always ruin my fun."

"Hard to think that before you two started dating, you would go weeks without flirting with anyone. Now every other thing you say lately seems to be a line."

"Come'na think of it, that is pretty true. You do like ta flirt."

"What's wrong with that? You're my girlfriend. I have a right to flirt with you. And you're the only one I flirt with."

"He does have a point there."

"This ain't a debate. You brought it up Virgil. I was just agreein with ya. I wasn't tryn'a criticize him."

"Alright. Let's go see what else my pops wants us to do."

They left the stage and inquired about their next tasks and quickly did them. They helped pick trash off the bleachers and did any other menial thing they were asked until the first auditions began streaming in. Rai checked her phone for the time and realized that it was ten minutes until four. She went to her bag and got out Heaven's CD. She managed to fit it into her back pocket with much effort and helped put away all the cleaning supplies with other volunteers. She'd managed to get Heaven the seventh slot so she figured she'd have to wait about 25 minutes before she put on the CD, ten for the start of the auditions and fifteen for the auditions ahead of her. She waited anxiously with Richie and Virgil and watched some of the talents practice. Some sang, some played instruments, some did things that Rai couldn't comprehend. Bianca came over to them and waved to Rai.

"hey."

"hi."

"Guys, this is Bianca Seo. She's Heaven's girlfriend."

"Pleased to meet you both."

"You stickin around for the auditions?"

"yeah. Heaven loves these kinds of things. I want to tell her about it later."

"Well, don't tell her everything. I've got a surprise for her."

"What's that?"

"I'm gonna play a CD a her performin for the judges as an audition. I know she'll get in."

"That's great. She'd keel over if she knew you were doing that for her."

"I know."

"You guys almost make me miss high school."

"That's right. How old're you now?"

"I'll be nineteen next month."

"Aren't you too old to date someone our age?"

Rai gave Virgil a look.

"Bianca and Heaven are only three years apart. That's hardly any difference at all."

"I meant the fact that she's over eighteen and Heaven's still a minor."

"Well, as long as the cops don't find out, there's nothing to worry about. It's one of the few times looking younger comes in handy."

"Do you feel better now?"

"They're starting the auditions."

Rai, Bianca, and Virgil looked at the stage. The first audition was a lanky, stuffy looking girl playing a played a fast-paced Spanish waltz on violin. The second was a rather sickly looking kid who played a generic pop tune on an acoustic guitar. Another kid played a Green Day song on an electric guitar. More interestingly, a seven-year-old duo of twins did a cheesy-cute gymnastics/ballet routine. A preppy snobby-looking girl did a half-baked cheer routine with an elaborate flip at the end being the only good thing about it.

There was only one person left before Rai played the CD. The minute he took the stage, he emanated pride, confidence, and ease. He stepped up to the mic with an elaborately designed electric guitar in hand.

He began playing a song that Rai recognized. She looked over and could tell that Bianca knew him.

"Who's that?"

"He's a friend Heaven made a couple of years ago at a tiny otaku gathering."

He started singing and Rai's suspicion was confirmed.

"_Broken wings, both delicate and frail  
You're just a little drained  
Weary from the blue sky that shines too bright to seek for  
Now, you don't have to try, for anybody else  
You can smile for just the sake of who you are_

_Loneliness that drifts near as it did before_  
_Candlelight that light up in my soul_  
_Rowdy party, unlike the glamorous chandelier glitz_  
_Stale conversation, don't know,_  
_How to fill the silence, cant think at all so_  
_Don't know what to do anymore_

_At least in my dreams I wish I could_  
_Swim as free as birds can fly_  
_So there would be no need for skies_  
_All the happenings up till just now_  
_Even if I didn't hide, I could reach that sky of mine_

_Broken wings, both delicate and frail_  
_You're just a little drained_  
_Weary from the blue sky that shines too bright to seek for_  
_Now, you don't have to try, for anybody else_  
_You can smile for just the sake of who you are_

_Getting over lack of confidence_  
_Its something that wont happen easily_  
_On top of your soul, a mirror_  
_Reflecting, flower petals falling,_  
_As if you're dying_  
_Shouting for the love spoiled somehow you will cry_  
_It doesn't work that way_

_In the moments that return in time_  
_Deeper cuts will turn to scab_  
_All the bruises giving way to heal_  
_But you didn't wait for that to come_  
_Beautiful as it can be_  
_Short-lived as beauty all can be_

_Like the scars, that's opening again, revealing what's inside_  
_I'm trembling under sunlight, praying for all I can be_  
_For now it would be fine, I'm trying not to love_  
_Someone as much as I did, I tell myself again_

_In this world, its sometimes hard to try, to walk on to the top_  
_The harsh light beating down dampens my will to go on_  
_So when I lower eyes, and see the ground below_  
_The dry crust will leak tears that you have dropped along the way_

_You don't have to take in every faults that crosses your way_  
_Enduring hardships ain't the only way you can be brave"_

He played with passion and matched the song perfectly. He was truly talented. The judges approval was obvious and some other acts applauded him as well. Rai gestured to Richie and they both went backstage. He lowered a giant screen and inserted the disc into the machine. Rai walked onto the stage.

* * *

Lyrics courtesy of WakaFallen. The song is an English version of Alones by Aqua Timez.

Sorry for the lenthy disappearance. My interent was gone and i don't even have a phone to use crappy internet on. Thanks to everyone who stuck in there with me. You are all awesome and I'm sending you all great big hugs.

Bad news: today i went to the doctor and turns out i moved my arm wrong or overused it and have some nasty internal bruising and swelling. So in addition to sleeping in an uncomfortable splint, I'm taking a writing break until my arm heals a bit. Doctor's orders. I will try to put up a couple more chapters though, since they're already written.

Well, that's it I guess...Luffles!


	20. Chapter 20

"Miss Heaven LeNoir cain't be here in person, but I hope this recording will suffice."

Richie pressed play and the recording showed the inside of a gloomy resturaunt with a small stage and a microphone set up. The picture of the clip seemed hazy as the features of the petite redhead who appeared on the screen were slightly blurred, the only distinguishing feature of her face being the fact that her eyes were a dark shade of hazel. She pulled out a purple guitar and began playing.

"_There must still be a soul that you have left behind_

_Hidden somewhere_

_In the deep deep of the forest lying among trees_

_People who are too tired they just don't look around_

_Any farther_

_They disappear into the eternal darkness of a forein place_

_Could we still have seen if we were there? Could we've seen it if it were little?_

_Go on with our lives and lose those things behind_

_Wrapped around in lies we stand there voiceless_

_We wanna live our lives until we find the way_

_Searching for the light…for eternity_

_Things are passing and changing and moving around_

_But the colors of the sky_

_Still remain the same like we used to know every single day_

_We are honest and free now with no memories _

_of the limits that we had_

_we leave our fears behind take another chance; our souls will live again_

_If we catch the rhythm of time, we could probably fly so high._

_Go on with our lives and lose those things behind_

_Wrapped around in lies we stand there voiceless_

_We wanna live our lives until we find the way_

_Searching for the light…for eternity_

_(instrumental)_

_Go on with our lives and lose those things behind_

_Wrapped around in lies we stand there voiceless_

_We wanna live our lives until we find the way_

_Searching for the light…for eternity_

_Go on with our lives and lose those things behind_

_Wrapped around in lies we stand there voiceless_

_We wanna live our lives until we find the way_

_Searching for the light…for eternity_

_Go on with our lives…for eternity_

_Searching for the light…for eternity…_"

Rai smirked her triumph. The video closed out with the girl standing with a huge smile on her face and leaving the stage. Heaven's voice was flawless. It was passionate and full of emotion and power that few people possessed. She managed to almost perfectly recreate the unique sound of the singer's voice without copying the accent. Her skilled guitar playing would earn her any extra points that the judges didn't give her vocals. Rai had chosen this song for just that. She was absolutely sure when every other person in the room began applauding. Rai met Richie backstage.

"So that's her talent?"

"Yup."

"She has a great voice.I almost felt something."

"That's her specialty. She truly becomes the song an perfectly conveys the meaning through the emotion she puts into it."

"There aren't even many professional singers who can do that"

"I know. But life's a bitch, then ya die."

"Harsh."

"She ain't lucky like me, you, or 's mostly alone in the world. She's got me n Bianca, n maybe that other kid, but other'an that, no one."

"Well, you don't exactly have the mother of the year."

"But at least mine cares enough ta wanna know who my friends are or what I do."

"Does everyone's life suck where you come from?"

"No. Just most of em. But most of em don't even know it."

"That's depressing."

"I know. I lived it."

"Can we drop this subject?"

"Yeah. Today's a good day. We shouldn't ruin it."

"you still never apologized for earlier."

"What I do?"

"You always ruin my fun, so this time I'm not letting you get away with it."

"Oooh…big scary Richie. What could you possibly do?"

Richie gave her the smile of a naughty school boy who had just concocted a clever trick.

"Lot's of things…let's see…"

He moved closer to where she stood by the wall until he was close enough to make her inch back enough to be fully against it.

"Oooh…you're sooo bad. Watcha gonna do now?"

He bent down so he was eye level with her and their faces were barely apart and Rai could feel a slight heat rising in her cheeks. If he was going to do what she thought he was going to do, she would hurt him. She didn't know how, but she would.

"What do you think I should do?"

He put one arm on the wall beside her.

"I think you should move 'fore I get mad."

He faltered for a minute moment, knowing the validity of her threat, but returned to his game.

"I don't want to move and unless you find a way to apologize to me, I won't anytime soon."

She darted her eyes back and forth, hoping someone would intrude and interrupt the moment. Richie knew she didn't like playing these little games of his in public places or around other people. It took her forever to even get used to the idea of kissing in public and she still didn't like doing anything more than a small peck in front of others. As long as they'd been together, she knew these things usually ended in a lot more than a peck.

"Fine. I'm sorry."

He sighed.

"You can't spare even one kiss?"

"Not the kind yer wantin. Not even sure I'll spare any for what you pulled."

"Fine. I give up."

He stepped away from her just enough so she could move and when her guard was down, he gave her a small, short, passionate turned tomato red but was too shocked to react otherwise. She recovered and stepped on his foot before tramping off, her face still a fluorescent pink. He limped after her back to the others.

"What happened to you?"

"It's short, cute, violetn, and speaks with a southern accent."

"you deserved it for bein an ass."

"So all is not right in paradise?"

Rai's face got pinker and then she angrily stood on the opposite side of Bianca away from Richie.

"It was just a kiss. No need to be that mad."

Rai shot him a glare.

"you know how I feel about kissing in public. You shouldn'a done it."

Virgil and Bianca looked on, feeling out of place.

"Are they usually like this?"

"no. But Rai isn't the type to take things lying down. She fights back."

"I don't think a mostly hidden corner of the backstage area counts as public."

"It's part of a public place that's teeming with people"

"sorry. At least I made sure no one would see us if they came backstage."

"Still. Haven't you heard the saying that what one does in public is only half of what they'll do in private?"

"no."

"When ya see a couple practically glued together at school, you assume they're sleepin together, doncha?"

"Well…yeah."

"Doncha think people would assume that of us if we did the same?"

"Probably."

"I don't know bout you, but I prefer ta keep my personal business personal."

"Geez, I'm sorry, okay?"

"Fine, forgiven."

They took their orginal positions beside each other and between Virgil and Bianca.

* * *

***5X Omake***

Enter Akai Yuuki

Y: So...yeah. What's everybody's thoughts? 20 chapters in is a major milestone. When the new characters have been around longer I'll do spots on them. Until then, I guess this is it for this episode of 5X Omake.

* * *

So yeah...I've been gone for a while but hope to get back in the swing of things soon. I have a new laptop, so I can do more writing now. I'm sorry to everyone who's been waiting! Please forgive me and review.


End file.
